001Fantastic. Thank you all for joining us. This is a public hearing for the annual safety plan. Uh the purpose is to uh hear from the public. Uh we'll give also some additional information uh before the board adopts this year's safety plan, most likely at the January 13th meeting. But with that being said, I did not see the sign up, so feel free. Please come join us. Yeah, >> there stand uh to to say your name for the uh the recording. >> Yes. Hi. Uh my name is Parker Hubble and as some of you may know I work for the district in the tech department. Um but I'm not here as a member of the tech department but as a member of the public concerned for the safety of our pens. Uh first of all I
002would like to thank the district for the steps they have taken to improving the security of our schools. Uh when I graduated from IHS in 2014 it was very different than it is now. Um, today there are double door main entrance vestibles at every building. Um, car swipe accesses and exterior door cameras. Um, I would also like to say I have a great appreciation for administrators who have been working and putting together the safety plan in the district. Um, I've taken a look at the safety plan draft and can see how much work has been put into it as it is over a 100 pages. Um, why I'm here today is to highlight my concern over uh propping doors open. Um, with all of these additions to our school security, all it takes to bypass
003all of this is to have a door propped open. Um, in the safety plan draft provided by communication on page 91 under building security requirements, it states the propping open of exterior doors is not permitted under any circumstance. Um, I'm hoping principals and building administrators can reinform all their building personnel, including students, to follow this so our students and staff are safe and can feel safe. Um, I implore members of the board to visit the buildings and see how buildings are following safety protocol. Uh, and to ask ask them questions. That's all I have to say. Thank you. Thanks. Fantastic. >> Dan, how about we proceed and we'll address this as well. >> Sure. >> If there's any immediate >> Oh, the problem. Do you want me to address the prop door? >> And we'll
004go with the report later on. >> Yeah. Uh, actually, um, Parker also works for ICS. Um and we have had a meeting about this on uh we had an alarm system on doors. So we've talked about um we've talked about um how to how to create a system that's more efficient where administrators could receive alarms for doors that were prompted in their building. And that might be prioritizing some doors because we have I mean one of the other issues is that many of our buildings have so many exterior doors and I'm really talking about the high school at this time. But maybe prioritizing some of those doors um and working with administrators so that they could get alarms and in different ways and using different uh technologies to give them uh those uh that notification.
005And we also talked about like how long does a door need to be open before administrator gets an alarm looking at that. Um so that's something we can continue to do. We have the capability of giving all of our administrators alarms when doors are prompt. We just have to deliver it in a way that is meaningful and in the way that works for them. If that makes sense. Because if you have I don't know how many doors we have the high school but um 800 I you know I don't know. >> Okay maybe about that >> maybe not that many. Okay. All right. >> So that was going to be my other question as well having that conversation. Is that something to consider as part of a capital project or we already have the technology
006in place to uh notify or have an idea when a door is prompt open? And I I imagine we're talking about exterior doors. >> We have the technology. I think uh it's making it meaningful and in a way that um we can respond to it quickly. Um because we're not we're simply not going to be able to respond to all, you know, 500 doors at the high school. Um prioritizing doors that are used for um uh entry and egress >> might be a good way to start. >> Yeah. Uh is this an item that we should um this particular item right I know part of the idea of the safety plan is as we go through we realize that it has an impact on other uh functions of the district other ways in which the
007district operates and so is this something that should be um talked about at a facilities committee to have a conversation about what this could look like what moving forward what this >> Yeah I would I would like that I think that's a good idea we could do a deeper dive yeah say Isn't this something that needs to be spoken to the staff internally? Because this is an issue. Who is profit doors open? That's a staffing issue that personnel that communication and do they take the seriousness of the safety of the building, safety of the students. Sure. because we've heard feedback from students about the safety plan which we'll you'll discuss where >> um where they were concerned about certain things and the way it was. Thank you very much Parker for first of all um
008acknowledging the appreciation and of the safety plan and the detail of the plan and what is in the plan and this is a New York state requirement. But now what training are we doing before we proceed to capital project at all? Um we have cameras too. Who are the offenders? Are they regular offenders? And so we we need to do that due diligence. Why are people profit? Because if we start to say get a an additional alert to principles and administrators. Yeah. >> We are acknowledging that the profit is okay, right? >> That people can will continue doing that. >> Yeah. Thanks, Kar. I see them sort of as a both and but I know of a number of our elementary schools also have direct outside door access. Right. So for me I don't I
009don't believe you were talking about main entry points that seems to be relatively secure. It's the not secure enough. I right maybe not saying that that but it maybe the non-main entry points that um we're worried about. high school being a great example. But again, I know a number of our buildings have multiple doors to the outside that you cannot get in, but they do provide egress, right? And so those are doors that often times people are worried about getting prompted open. >> Maybe for the next facilities meeting, I can gather some information first and then report out after checking in with a few buildings. Also, uh, we have, uh, I can work with Parker on reports to identify, you know, doors that are propped open more often than others. I mean, at on a
010gut level, I believe, I would guess this is more of a secondary issue through the design of our facilities than um, our elementary schools. But but I think looking at looking at the data, what doors are propped open and frequency, I could report out on that in the beginning of the facilities meeting and then I could talk about how how we're going to uh address it if that makes sense. >> To car point it doesn't stop us from having communication to building leaders >> about this, right? I mean that's one thing as well. >> Sure. >> Um and I am intrigued. I mean this is partly every time we have some conversation like that it brings up other issues, right? So thinking about well folks go out for recesses the door open because you have
011some kids who are in and some kids who are out. >> So I I imagine it's not just the secondary. >> That that's a great point. I remember when I was at Bell Sherman um and I worked with IPD, we would open that back door by the kickball area. Um and IPD was fine with us propping that door as long as somebody was standing there. Right. So, I think making sure um the legitimacy of of uh of of some of the doors like why are they being propped open like for that for that Bel Sherman exam? >> Yeah. >> No, I'm curious to that so fantastic. Thank you. >> Okay. Thanks. Um, so Dan, how about you go through some of the changes between last year and this year? Sure. And then we'll address um
012a couple of the concerns that we >> That be great. Yeah, that's okay. >> You want to put it up? Yeah. >> I'll go really quick. I know you've seen this all before, maybe 10 to 15 times. So, all right. There we go. Okay. So, we Okay, so obviously we do this every year, right? We're required to do this every year. I'm required to send it to the state. Um, we've gone through committee multiple times. I've met with our safety team as well. Um, we've gone to the board as well. Um, and then we post it for 30 days and we share it with our local media outlet as well. Um, and oh, I have a clicker. >> Dan, because we're not we're both the primary audience and not the primary audience as well. Can
013you just speak to the safety team so members have an idea of what that is? >> Thanks. It's not working. Okay. Yeah. Um, so, um, one thing I'm proud of over the years is we have worked to include more law enforcement. Um, on our safety team, we have a represent from the sheriff's department. It's usually Lieutenant Jeremy Ziggfus. Uh, we have IPD leadership. It's, uh, Captain uh, Ted Schwarz who's on our team. Uh, we have Mark Alo from TSD Boseies. um and other people from TSD Boseies. Uh we've had people from the county as well that we've invited and then of course we have um principles and had athletic directors and we all I also invite all um the union leaders as well to join us as well. And um it it's a great group.
014Yeah. Yeah. It's been pretty consistent over the years. Yeah. Um and uh what happens is I do meet with that team in the summer to review the memos from the uh from the state to make the changes for the safety plan. So for this year, if we go to the next slide, we're following a commissioner's regulation that came out and it's 155.17. I don't it's probably not interesting to anybody but um we were given a new regulation uh late in the year May um June and then I we read over those memos and then we make the changes with the safety team. Um so this year um there's new standards for drills uh emergency planning uh terminology and communication. Those are the the areas that the state looked at. If we can go to the
015next one. I don't think it's working. Oh, it is okay. Um, you know, one of the great things that the state came up with is trauma-informed drills, and we've been already doing a lot of this. Uh, but we're not we're trying not to create distress for students and for staff. Um, and we're trying to, uh, take in account the emotional needs of all the students. Uh, so part of this is advanced notification. Now, we've been doing this for a little bit of a little while, but we want to make sure that um all parents and caregivers are given at least a week's notice of all the drills um so there isn't any confusion. And when we're doing drills in our building, we're always supposed to say that it's a drill. It's not a real emergency.
016Um you don't have to do that for evacuation drills. Um but it is good practice to let children know it's a drill. It's not real. So, for example, if you're doing a lockdown in a building, you'll say, "We're in lockdown. This is a drill. This is a drill." You might repeat it a few times just so people aren't um scared unnecessarily. Oh, it's all right. That's all right. On the next slide, well, there's some language that the uh state changed for um shelter in place, lockdown, hold in place. I'm not going to go into a lot of detail of it. Um, it's just it's just some uh it's just a language change. We're going to make sure all of our shells, which are those big posters you see, shelter in place, hold in place, evacuate,
017lock down, lock out, that shell, uh, will be updated with this language after the hearing. Okay. >> Does the acronym still hold true? >> Uh, yes. Uh, no. Sh. Well, it says secure lockout now. Almost. We're gonna We'll have fun with it. Yeah, we'll make a >> We'll make a new one. All right. Also, um, if we can go to the next slide. >> That's all right. Is that >> I got it. Oh, >> you got it. >> I'm gonna go back now. All right. So, um, every department does a safety update. I actually helped to create um in the beginning of the year all the safety updates. All the information that you're seeing um I shared with all of our administrators, all of our directors, and all our departments in August when we're gearing
018up to come back this summer. Even though it hasn't been it hadn't passed, I wanted to let them know ahead of time about all the changes. Okay. One of the things uh that we will still need to focus on is the afterchool programs after school and events and I will make sure I reached out to um uh some but I need to make sure that I reach you know especially after the hearing uh that all the afterchool programs in our elementarymentaries and other places are aware of all of our procedures and all the updates um as well as coaches advisors I'll be working with athletics. I'll be working with Carrie and Shane um as well. Um and we'll also work more about posting memos and signages and I'll be working with communications on the post
019on the uh memos and the signage. And on the last one I have this is the newest um Okay, so this is Governor Hokll's um extreme heat and emergency response. Uh, and I know I've gone over this before, but at 82 degrees, we have to start taking action. Um, o, you know, turning off overhead lights, lowering shades, operate, you know, turning fans on, open opening doors, uh, and windows. Um, I don't know if you know this, but when it gets really hot, um, we we tell our custodians to open the window, especially at the high school, open the windows at night and make sure to, uh, uh, close them first thing in the morning to bring in all the cool air from outside. That's especially for like upper G and upper H. Um, and and
020it's also for all of our buildings that have second floors as well. Bel Sherman, Northeast, BJ Jam has its own air conditioning. Um, now when it hits when it hits 88 degrees, we are to relocate to cooler areas whenever practical. So, I have worked with building principles to find spaces, especially in our buildings that are um a little bit hotter. South Hill, I mentioned them already. It's really all the buildings that have second floors. Yeah. So, I'll continue to work with building principles um about where they can relocate. For example, South Hill um uh they use their cafeteria on the first floor to send a lot of their classrooms that are hot or they could use their library. They don't use the gym because unfortunately the gym gets even hotter. But we've also um I've
021worked with Shaun Warden facilities to order um many many fans and many new air conditioning portable air conditioning devices that we're working. So that'll be a difference for this spring and as we go to camp. >> So Dan, this is going to be a topic of uh conversation. Yeah. Uh I hope not this year, but it has been for the past couple years. We're witnessing much warmer temperatures while school's in session particularly in June. >> Uh and with that being said, I think sometimes the our community is not always the clearest on what the legal expectation is from NY law and that is at 82 degrees. Not that we cannot use that classroom, right? >> But rather the district is required to start taking actions to lower the temperature. I just want to make sure
022that we're clear on that. Right. So at 82 we have to start doing something different. Hopefully we've been doing it beforehand to protect teachers, staff, >> students, you name it. And then at 88 whenever when and wherever practical we're asked to move out of that space, but there may be times even at that point in time where that may not be possible. >> That's correct. Yeah, that's correct. >> So I'm not advising that. I'm not advocating for it. Right. I want to make sure that it's clear, but I also want to make sure that folks understand clearly what what it stipulates. Now, we should be taking steps as we're already discussing to not have to even worry about that, but I also want to be clear about what the regulation is require. I I should
023also add uh in some of our hottest spaces in the district, G&H, >> we are going to have the ability to move 600 tons of cool air around our high school and we can pro that that's new actually with um um with the work we've done through the capital project. So, for the summer, for the spring and the summer, we'll be able to prioritize um hot locations in the high school. And and I'm sure you've heard over the years, G&H had been probably the most commonly um brought up by the public and by our staff. So, we're we're definitely going to work to uh cool those areas first. Um, I mean the other thing we did run into was um when it was hot in the beginning of the school year, we did uh we
024did we had one day, we had one or two days um we had people who did not want to move. So we'll have to um you know we don't want to force people as as well. Um we'll have to figure out how to navigate that as well >> if that makes sense. I think with fans um yeah I think with windows open and shades drawn and fans on um you know I think we'll work with how people feel in those spaces if that makes sense. >> I'm still considering how people feel and they don't want to move but aside from any comments around that. Yeah, it was a hard it was it was a hard one because we had >> um I think I you know as a former elementary principal myself, I think it's
025hard to move large if we're talking about small children, I think it's hard to um even if there's a cooler classroom down the hall, I think sometimes it's hard to wrap uh your head around moving an entire group and if you'll be able to teach them. But I think um I think we'll have to work with the schools and the teachers on that. I mean, we want to we want to be understanding, but we also want to provide cool space. In this specific building, there was a a cool classroom down the end of the hallway, but we couldn't it it it only happened on one day. Uh but it'll give us something to think about for our next for our next hot day as well. >> Yeah, I think that's something to have some conversation
026about. Uh I I actually I think I understand it as an educator. >> Yeah. >> Uh you know classroom space and the setup has a significant >> for sure >> impact on the pedigogy and the curriculum >> for sure. >> Um and moving a class is disruptive. Yeah. Um at the same point in time we have to think about safety for everybody. Yeah. Right. Everyone's >> wellbeing. So I I see both sides of it. >> Um and I'm sure we'll receive messages uh next time this happens as well. It might depend on when 88 like if you're if you're hitting 88 at the very end of the day and you're ready to dismiss I mean there might be right there might be some other so this is also part of the reason why the language
027and the samp plan may not be as specific as people are asking for it to be because the regulation itself isn't as specific as some people are asking for it to be as well. And so in keeping with that regulation, in keeping with the spirit, we know we don't want students in and employees in um unsafe hot areas. So we have to try to continue to figure this out. >> Um >> great point. >> Yeah, whenever practical, right? I think that's the new language that was added in a second round >> of the of the act. So with regards to after school programs or events that have outside individuals, I know in the plan it also says each building has their own detailed safety plan. So that after school events will fall under that falls
028under this as well as falls under the detailed building. Um, are you I don't believe Are you asking if the extreme heat protocols fit under the after after school programming? I don't believe it does actually. I believe that the extreme heat only falls under the school day requirements. And then there's some carveouts too which are interesting. Um, the carveouts are like food ser I also work in food service. The kitchens are not um under this at all. So, and because I've had some conversations with some EA employees, too. >> So, that if the K if say our Bo Kitchen is um is above 88 there, it's fed specifically does not fall under this. Yeah. So, >> because the appliances that could be help contribute to that. >> Yeah. There are items the refrigerator that are
029still >> right and it get I mean with in our central kitchen um so Boon's kitchen is our central kitch and it produces um so much food that is then sent out to other buildings. Um it can get it can get pretty hot in there. Yeah. They do most their cooking uh pretty early in the morning though. So they get in early about four o'clock. Yeah. So, >> yeah. >> Okay. Goodbye, Karen. >> I can respond to some of those other >> Yeah, please. We uh received um a couple of uh let's talk uh notices. Again, encourage other folks to use Let's Talk portal uh to communicate, give feedback uh and we'll respond to a couple that we received. So um some of the feedback we I think we received it from a student which
030is great which is great to get that feedback. Uh the first question was why is um their inform more information about um uh you know heat and buildings and I did just cover that. So I think um maybe just wasn't front and center. The way I I wrote the safety plan is I put all the updates in the beginning and it just might have been something that was missed. So, we do obviously have New York State heat mandate in our safety plan. Now, and I'm happy to uh communicate directly to the student after uh today. Uh the other question he had was about smoke events. Now, um we do not have this in our safety plan. I'm open uh to adding >> this is the air quality. >> Yeah. Yeah. It's for wildfire uh wildfire
031smoke events. We have put out district communication before when these events happened. Uh we have we modified outdoor activities. Uh for example, we um we moved gym classes. Uh we've moved recess indoors and sports indoors. Uh when we've had uh specifically Canadian uh wildfires a few years ago, um we can outdoor programs. Um but we do we do follow a lot of health advisories uh from our county and from the National Weather Service. Um so um uh I have mixed thoughts about putting in the safety plan um because there isn't a standard procedure for it. We follow the guidance from the county um and the data they provide to us if that makes sense. Um, I'm I'm I'm happy to provide an addendum of of what we've done some of the measures we've taken, but
032we wouldn't have a standard protocol uh that exists. Does that make sense? Yeah. So, I don't know if I would really recommend putting it in the safety plan. >> I would agree that. >> Yeah. And then the I and one of the things I looked up is like what's the purpose from New York State about the New York State safety plan >> and the information I found was you know it's it's you know it's required document keep students staff and visitors safe um for emergencies violence and other critical incidents. I feel like this the wildfire events are so specific and probably hard for us to create an algorithm or a a process on how we respond that I think we should handle it by responding to um Tomkins County, National Weather Service, DEEC and then
033take our guidance from those three organizations. Does that make sense? Yeah. >> And then the other qu You want me to keep going? Uh yeah, I think I just want to say the question um if as I read it and I did not read it carefully so I apologize if I mischaracterizing it was not about do we have a process in place for wildfires but what happens if wildfires create poor air quality >> that may cause us to cancel class. Did I misread the the comment? >> No, I think that's that's doubt. Maybe maybe I misinterpreted too. Yeah. Let's see. >> Oh, it's I I don't have it in front of me, but it stated that due to the air quality, a lot happened from the result of the wildfires from Canada and all. So,
034if I interpret it as the individual is looking for specific detail of what do we what are the procedures we need to put in place to ensure that whatever safety protocols are followed where >> that's how I read. >> Yeah. where the safety pad >> um includes everything and it there's certain things just like there's another topic we'll go on to also that is it may not specify air quality do this but this could be like as Jan had mentioned Tomkins County Health Department and making sure follow the protocol or that as well as other um protocols within this county Yeah. Yeah. It says it says how we would I think it says how we would respond to emergencies related to air quality and wild wildfire smoke. So I I kind of I kind of
035read it. What steps would we take? >> And I think what I didn't want to do is create like a AQI, >> you know, threshold. I mean, that's that's probably a little bit of a mission creep for us because the county and DEC and other organizations, that's that's probably uh more of what they that's more their expertise. >> Yeah. Great. Thank you. >> All right. And then the other the other questions we had were um about um why isn't sexual assault um in the safety plan? And you know it's title it's it's handled differently. You know it's handled under uh multiple laws. Title 9 handled under DASA. Um you know uh how I just explained earlier what the the New York State's idea of what the safety plan covers. Um uh sexual assault is not
036something that would be covered under the uh New York State safety plan for each district. it's covered under title nine and staffs and other other ways. The other question I got was um or I received was about ICE protocols and um we do have uh you know we worked uh we worked with u uh legal counsel some time ago. We put communication out uh one pager to the community and to our staff. Um uh again I don't feel that um a protocol for ICE visits has a place in our safety plan at this time. It seems like a specific response to a a specific arm of law enforcement and that doesn't seem to meet the mission or the purpose of a New York safety plan or a safety plan which is about um guiding school
037districts to keep students, staff, and visitors safe during emergencies, violence, and other critical incidents. So I I wouldn't recommend putting it at the safety limit, but I appreciate the question that we've seen from >> because there's also a section that talks about threats and assaults and and building leaders have protocols on what to do in case. Yeah. >> Well, uh the actually the safety plan that's a great point, Karen. The safety plan's more focused on threat assessment when we're partnering with law enforcement. Now, the threat assessment isn't how we're dealing with uh uh uh law enforcement agency that's coming to us. It's more about threats we're we're receiving from students uh or other um social media other purposes. Yeah, I think if we had a a carve out to how we dealt with one specific
038agency, um it would it would set a different precedent that we wouldn't want to continue. Well, um don't built in principles and administrators have protocols on how to deal with in case um there's a custody battle >> in family court and >> somewhat of I just saw ICE in some what connected the approach there that you can't just come into a building. So there are certain protocols who will be that point of contact with the official. >> They already have a one-pager. All building officials already have a one pager of how you know they're the person they'll they'll engage legal counsel. Um there's a whole protocol we have for it. Um uh it is interesting you bring up the custody that is that's um something we work very closely um on with principles but um
039in those situations we try to work to make sure the most recent order is uploaded and that everyone is familiar with how to handle those kind of situations. That makes sense. All right. Fantastic. Anything else? >> So, what are the next steps with this document? >> I mean, where we approve the um we approved at the next board meeting, I would imagine. >> Yeah, I I imagine it be on the agenda for the 13th. Um we are legally required to have a public hearing and post it. I want to think I think it's 45 days. Uh which we've done. This is the public hearing which now means it can go to the board for approval with any additional changes or modifications or at least some clarifications for what we've been asked and proceed from there.
040>> I I like uh Sean how you say it's a a living document too. I think just because it's approved doesn't mean we can't make an addition or um so I think that so if other students have questions or other board members have ideas I mean you know we can certainly make an addendum or appendix or something right >> yeah it' be that'd be a good thing to you know we we can't predict the unknown and there are certainly been any number of unknowns that have come our way so yes it's a document that's always in flux and can change as to meet our needs and the needs of our community. So again, we'll proceed from there. >> Good. >> Uh before we close, um you know, just in the way in which you speak
041about it, I think it warrants uh a kudos to Dan and I know you work with other folks. Um but as was mentioned during the public comment, the document is well over a 100 pages. Uh you've been u responsible for for a couple of years now if I'm not mistaken. That's right. Which requires significant amount of research, conversation, collaboration. >> Uh, and so we just want to offer our thanks for the amount of work that is creating this plan and uh, mobilizing the safety team as well. So, Dan, appreciate it. >> Great. >> Thank you. >> Great. >> Fantastic. I think if that's it, we will bring the public hearing to a close. Feel free to reach out to anyone via email or let's talk portal. Thank you for watching. Appreciate