001Yeah. Okay. All right. Good evening. It's 5:30. I would like to call the August 20th, 2025 school safety meeting to order. Please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> So, um, second item on the agenda is approval of minutes for the May 14th, 2025 school safety meeting. We've received a copy. Are there any corrections or abstensions? >> No, you can't. I can't do on that. >> Can I have a motion to approve the May 14th, 2025 school safety meeting minutes? >> So moved. >> I can second. Great. Second. >> You can second. Yeah. >> All right. Motion has been made and seconded.
002Is there any discussion or questions? Hearing none. All in favor? >> I. Item three is public comment. We have any public comment? >> I did not receive any public comment and I don't believe anyone. >> All right. Moving on to four information and discussion. Um, Mr. Cavalis, do you have any information or updates to provide? >> Um, we I just hired a another security officer for Bristol Eastern who replaced the one last year. So, she'll be school there again. So, That's all set to go. And connection with number five, training updates. FEMA, the all hazards plan that we have to do. We have not yet received the new template from Deus the state. Um, understand, you know, regarding their updates to what they're going to add in for what's required this year. I think there's
003just going to be a piece about the immigration response and dealing with those types of instances. We already >> put a plan in place last school year when this whole thing kind of kicked off and I assume it'll mirror that and go off general statute >> and we are we are going to be becoming a much safer district this year with the uh addition of Alice active response training. Back in May, we sent several administrators to a two-day training class where they became certified instructors. And we have since developed a rollout plan that we plan to implement throughout the school year in phases um kind of step by step. So, we're on track of that. We're going to be including some training next week for professional learning. Uh that's those are really the only updates
004I have now. cameras. the the camera design data had gone out and it was we had chose we had chosen a company to do it and we're waiting to hear back to the city as to putting out the bid for install and I hope that that happens within the next year it will give you an update on that at our next meeting. Okay. How many certified instructors do we have for Alice >> in the district now? >> Yeah, >> about 40 39 maybe. >> Okay. >> Yes. >> Are there any questions or comments? >> All right. And that ties into um item number five on the agenda. I know Mary, did you want to discuss the Alice roll out? I know. No. Okay. because I thought that was in the email. >> Yeah. Yeah. >>
005Okay. >> We've tweaked a few things. >> Okay. Oh, okay. >> Um, number six is discussion of bus safety. >> Yes. Um, so Steve and I have been working with Colin to try to really make the elementary school buses safe um, for the students and for the teachers because at the beginning of the school year, the bus drivers don't know the kindergarteners. The, you know, the kindergarteners aren't really sure about their stuff and we've had some carry moments in the past. So, what we've done is we've purchased these um colorcoded lanyards for um every elementary school student who takes a bus. So, everyone on bus 18 will be in the light blue, everyone on bus 15 in the pink 19. Then we created um badges for every student. And so that the badges all look
006the same. Um, we gave all the administrators a template. So they'll all look like this. It'll have the students name, the bus to read again, the teacher, and any notes. So like maybe Wednesday doesn't take the bus goes to boys and girls club type thing. Um, and then we definitely wanted to target those little ones because the, you know, the third, fourth, and fifth graders, they they've been doing this bus thing and they're pretty much experts at it. Um, but for the little ones, they're not. So, if you are in kindergarten, your color is bright pink for your badge. So, everyone knows that you're in kindergarten. And then first grade is bright yellow and uh second grade is bright green. And then the other kids do have colors, but they're just like my my new
007colors. Um, we did this because sometimes what we find is we tell the kindergarteners, "Please sit up front so the bus driver can see you." and they're like, "Oh, no. That's my neighbor and I love him." So, they go all the way to the back of the bus and then we get get big properties. >> So, we're hoping that this new simplified system will help everybody. It'll help um also that um Colin uh put out some messaging last year, mid to late in the year, that um we now have a system where you can look on the phone and see where your bus is. Um, so we also hope that that's going to help. Um, and then the final thing that we did was the late buses, the homework buses, um, at the middle um,
008and high school. They would ask who wants to go on the late bus. The kids would write down their address and their name and then the bus driver would look at it and come up with a route and then drive all over town. And sometimes it took two hours for the buses to get back. So, um, scary moments because if it changes every week, your parents don't know how to like go to the bus stop and look for you. They have no idea where you got dropped off. They just know that it was close to home. Um, so we're going to have solidified groups um so that every parent knows what bus stop is closest to theirs. Um, and then the buses should be able to group in a timely manner like less than an
009hour. >> Oh, okay. >> Yeah. >> Difference. Yeah. >> Yeah. Yes. We had a handful of times where K first graders last year got on the wrong bus. >> So that'll help >> through the chair. >> Yes. >> Hi. Um question. Is this practice going to include um students who are on alternative transportation? So not just busing but students who might have um van services etc. and how might they be identified as well? >> So, most of our schools have four to six buses, large buses, and then there are about another nine smaller buses. So, we got um we got these for uh one through 20. So, we have colors one through 20. >> So, for Oh, sorry. Please go ahead. We just got fewer of the smaller ones. So like for bus one, we
010had to order 300, but for bus 19, I ordered 12. Gotcha. Um so for example if there's like curtain one of the private transportation companies um will this practice also extend to students who may not be on buses but may have transportation whether it's intradist or outside of the district. So to ensure that students are going on the same uh the correct vans, >> we do have enough for that. Yes. >> Oh, okay. Perfect. Excellent. >> Yeah. I'm not so sure about kids who are out of our district like how we would get them to to them. Um but I think that for a lot of those there are one rider um >> so I I'm not sure if that has ever been an issue. the issue. What I what was explained to me is
011that there are a few bigger issues. One is if just like at the first bus stop, two kids get off, the kindergartens kindergarters stay there. They know they don't get off. Then the next stop, two more kids get off. They usually stay on the bus. Then the next stop like 12 or 13 kids stand up. They think that the whole bus is empty and then they get mixed into that large group and those big bus stops. So, this is great to mitigate that as well. >> Yeah. I wonder if it's just something to also consider for some of our students with special needs, particularly those that um may not have the verbal abilities to uh to communicate if they're not on the right stop. Um offline, I can give a personal experience um that that
012I'd be happy to share offline. It's not appropriate, I think, for right now online, but just being mindful of some of our more um non-verbal populations or populations that might have higher needs. >> Yeah, we do have enough for everyone who's in district. Just don't I didn't plan. >> Okay, that's great. Perfect. Thank you. >> Do any other schools do this? Like any other districts do something similar like this? Do you know? You don't know? I was just wondering what the, you know, success is for it. >> So, historically, you know, elementary school teachers, they label everything. They label your desk, your locker, your, you know, and so we do usually put like a small label on the back of the kids like a >> strung on with a piece of yarn or something and
013every teacher does their own little way. Um, so this is just to make it uniform so that if you have a sub bus driver or if you have your regular bus driver, you know, whoever is going to know this system and be able to react to it, >> you know, >> it's a good idea. >> Oh, and we're also um looking to have um pair up for the first three days uh sit with the kindergarteners and the first graders to really watch them. Um, so that'll also take a lot of pressure off of the bus driver because they get really they're trying to learn the roof, you know, >> on top of everything. >> Yeah. On top of watching kids learning the kids, >> right? Yeah. Yeah. >> We're hoping. Any other questions about that?
014Um, have we ever thought about or we don't have exterior bus cameras, right? to catch >> no future. >> Okay. Is there a possibility we'd get that eventually? Like you know how people are just flying by with when the lights and the stop signs are out. >> Yeah. And they just completely ignore it because I think it was Newington and also maybe Bridgeport. They paired up with the police department in the town and you know they started doing that. So then the PD can issue tickets. We can look into it. That's a great idea. >> Okay. >> We do catch them sometimes on our own property on our >> Yeah. I had gotten a complaint. I think it was the beginning of last school year. A parent was I think they're on staffer >> and
015they're like no matter how many times that sign is out and the lights are on, people are just, you know, completely ignoring it and for the safety of the kids, you know. Um, okay. So, >> yeah, that's definitely an issue. Um, Commissioner Rosenowski, it's it's an issue that I think many of us have fielded concerns from parents on really busy roads uh throughout Bristol. Uh, and the the example that I was referencing earlier where there was a special needs student who wasn't um able to communicate for himself. um th those that that that these transportation challenges can be. Um I think Bristol handles it really well. We know how dangerous it can be. I think we've been very proactive um in in the past. Some of the things are hard for us to manage. Um,
016but having that good relationship with Bristol PD. So, for example, when we notice that vehicles are uh crossing the stop sign of a of a bus, you know, what can we do? Um, is there a process in place to communicate with Bristol PD? And then how do we follow up? Have have we looked at anything? Is there anything um already established so that we can be responsive to those concerns from parents? Unless we get cameras on the bus outside. >> Yeah. I mean, my recommendation would be to call um the police and report record report it. Um I don't know what they can do without the camera footage because then I can report on you because I don't >> Right. You don't want me or something. Right. Exactly. Yeah. >> Yeah. Is there a process
017for the bus drivers if they if they have their lights up and they see cars um passing their vehicles? It's also been concern from from bus drivers, particularly those who live in Bristol and have kids in Bristol. Um I know that there have been concerns from from bre from our bus drivers as well. They do call 911 and they're instructed to try to get as much as many details about the vehicle as possible, make model color, uh the driver's um description, appearance, license plate as best they can. It's not doesn't always work, but >> sure. >> And then is there followup? Um because we don't have those external bus cameras, is there followup? Has there have there been arrests or any uh ticketing or whatever that for for people who have violated the the signs?
018Yes. Uh only this past school year on three occasions um a parent passed a bus in the uh you know parked in front of the school and wasn't able to get out. So the bus driver had time to get the plate make a model and they were eventually issued infraction tickets. Yes. >> Thank you. I've heard of on actual the streets and and city. >> Okay. Gotcha. Right. Right. Yeah. That might be a little bit harder to to track down. Um but that's that's where I'm often hearing the most offenses are on those busy roads in town and um either citizens in Bristol or parents are seeing people pass right through the uh the bus lights, but sometimes they're feeling a little bit powerless. But I think the recommendation, the obvious recommendation is that they
019get as much information about the make, model, license plate, and report it to Bristol police. Just don't know if people are feeling that they there's like a resolution that they know of. Um, but again, without those external bus cameras, I guess this is the best that we can do. >> What would be the steps like to take if we were to look into something like that? Do you know? So, I think this could be answered very easily by Colin um because he was actually looking I know he was looking at New Britain has cameras on the bus that have um so let me start with this currently if there's an issue on the bus as a principal I can call the bus company ask them to download their camera they download their camera the next
020day they drop off the footage New Britain has a system where the cameras are connected to the principal's um computers. So if somebody says, "Oh, on bus one, Tommy, hit me on the way in." The principal can do it right there. So I know that he does have connections with a lot of different districts. Um and he does find um out things like this. Um so I think if we asked him to before and say meeting to you know just find out what's going on. I can't remember the two town if there be any grants to there's a lot of safety money out there. So I I think there was several hundred per bus. >> I mean I got the dash. >> Yeah. >> All right. Um number seven is discussion of a state directive
021about the interaction with ICE agents. >> Yeah. So um we took care of a lot of this um uh last year but we had to appoint an administrator um in each school or multiple administrators um to be the person who interacts with the ICE agents. Um I did speak with the um chief of police today um and he assured us that although they can't defer anything from happening, they can't help the the ICE agents in any ways that they will come and help us to verify what kind of >> um warrant it is and stuff like that. So the protocol is the administrator, the key administrator contacts Steve. Steve goes directly to the school. Steve contacts the police, lets them know uh where he's going, and then if he's having any problems or concerns with
022it, then the police will come and assist. We have several SRO's that I believe have um will help from schools as well. There are any questions or comments? Um, number eight is discussion of the visitor management system, the check-in process at all Bristol public school buildings such as here and the schools. So, all of our buildings uh utilize a buzzer camera that they push and activates a screen, goes to the main office. The office administrator sees the person on screen, answers the phone, hi, how are you? I'm here to help you. I'm here to whatever. I have an appointment. if uh they ask them, you know, take our driver's license or passport, but they'll go to the door and then they'll do a visual inspection of the person and make sure they're not >> right,
023>> they look okay visually. They'll let them in the building, escort them to the main office where they're scanned into our visitor management system. Then they're issued a uh labeled um a label lizard label that they have to keep on the outermost garment for the duration of their time in the school. And if there's any inconsistencies with the check that the system does, then a school administrator and myself are notified immediately. And if we determine they have a legitimate reason to be in the school, the administrator has a discretion to either deny them access to the school or to have a security person or administrator or designate escort them throughout the building to where they have to go and stay with them until they have to leave >> and they have to log out. They
024have to sign out. >> Yes, they have to sign in and out um on a piece of paper at their time. They have to sign in with uh their time where they're going, who they're going to see. And we do not try not to let visitors in during class transitions and we usually just one person at a time. So if there's five or six people waiting, it's one at a time. We go through the whole process for each person, >> which doesn't happen too often, but >> it's >> And then is that the same like with this building, too? >> Yes. >> Okay. So, they buzz in on the back door. You guys have probably seen >> my security guy visually inspects them. They gets their ID, brings them to the front desk. >> They
025go, they get entered into the system. They get a label sticker to wear. We call the office that they're going to for whatever appointment or meeting. Most of uh the staff that comes here has an appointment, has a meeting, and they're usually allowed to call up to HR talent, sorry, or superintendent's office, say, "Hey, so and so's here. Okay, send them up." And we sometimes escort them if they have never been here. Right. Things like that. >> Okay. And then those log sheets, are they kept in a >> We keep them for the school year. >> Okay. Um, some schools keep them longer. I don't see the need to. >> Any questions? [Music] >> Then number nine is hiring process of all BPS staff. I was summoned to speak while I am here. Um, so
026thank you. No problem. U outlines generally how we hire staff. It is slightly different between our certified non-certified individuals. So I'll make sure to differentiate the difference between them. So typically um we either have a position that's identified um either through a resation retirement or we have a new position that's added. Um there is a request form that's filled out. Um that request form is initiated by the hiring manager, supervisor, principal. Um that will be sent over to the superintendent and Joby Bond in this case will approve it and that's really a budgetary measure just to make sure that you know we have the staff allocated for that the money allocated for that staff. Um once that's approved then in my office either Heidi or will post the position online or different sites once it's
027posted online you'll have the principal hiring manager or supervisor who will then select the candidates they wish to interview. Uh typically depending on the bargaining unit the position might have to sit for x amount of days contractually for teachers or administrators to take into consideration internals. Um, depending on the position, there might be multiple rounds of um, interviews. Typically, for our certified staff, we'll have more interviews. Non staff might not. Um, so candidates are selected, they're called in. We'll have an interview committee that's um, comprised. Um, they'll go through the rounds. Typically, the hiring manager will go through and complete preference checks, read their recommendations to verify that the individual is suitable and and meets the position. will check their reputation typically quickly. From there, um the candidate is recommended to hire. Once they're recommended
028to hire, it ends up in our office where then we kind of go through background checks on boarding packet process. Um actually before we get to that point, I actually meet with the superintendent for the last round interview where the salaries negotiated. Once that's completed, then onboarding packet is filled out where we go through and we initiate um background checks, reviews, um our candidates. Um and this is in line with board policy. We complete fingerprinting. We complete a DCF um it's a 3031 form and we complete a background check. Background check that we complete is a supplemental background check. Uh so we're mandated to do the fingerprinting and the DCF form. We pay extra for the background check just to pick up anything extra on our end. Yeah. >> And we even have another layer
029where um either hire Marty what they will do is actually before they usually go up to the superintendent. >> Um and this has been a practice unofficial practice that's been in place for a while is they will do a quick Google search of the candidate. um quick but you know just the front page of you know Google what pops up on the person because usually you'll be surprised how much comes up um and that just allows us to kind of flag anything before we enter that next stage of the superintendent on boarding so if there is any major concerns that come forward I can intervene contact the hiring manager kind of um so um they also have to complete a med works physical um that is actually from my understanding it's been a board policy
030for a long time. Many school districts don't require um a physical and such nature actually slows us down quite a bit. Um we have to go through fighter networks under six by hurricane and they're pretty slow. So like right now in crunch time um it's very difficult for us to get people in if we're waiting. Um and from my understanding even my own experience when I was on boarded here years ago is that they don't even they do physically look at you. they go like this, you know, not good and we pay money alert. So, one day in the near future, I'd like to reexamine that to see if we can change that policy. I I do think we can better spend those funds in different areas. Um, once all that is cleared, um, and
031stuff that we keep track on. It's on a folder like this, you know, checklist once they've met all the requirements. And uh the staff in my office, they're very good about following up with hand updates. Once everything is cleared, then we typically reach out to the hiring manager, principal, supervisor, indicate that you know everything is clear through and we hire. That's 10 mile view of process. >> Thanks. Yeah. My question was like the safety end of it as far as like >> how does you know >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> So typically um and these are all so the fingerprinting comes from the state Connecticut. So you know they have their own internal systems that they use um and you're a former state. >> Yeah. I mean it's it's a federal criminal record check
032in all 50 states. >> Yeah. And I'm not sure how far back it goes. It's for a criminal check. It should go back Yeah, definitely. >> You should see that when you see the report. >> Yes. Yeah. When they come through, typically if there's a flag, it's called a hit. If a hit comes through, the person that officer processes the background checks, she'll let me know if there's a hit and then it comes running hit, right? So, I check um and we go from there. Um that very rarely happens. I I was curious because after this inquiry about the hiring practice, I did start looking into you know state law and I'm aware of uh last year situation we had >> right >> and in 200 uh I think it was 21 passed a clean
033slate law. So we've started some investigating to see how that impacts us. um because hypothetically speaking that clean slate bill is erasing criminal records from people and if we go in the background check is only as good as the background check information. >> So that's something that you know we've started to do some research on. >> Yeah. >> According to legislation they're only supposed to erase um minor drug use offenses marijuana and certain misers. Um, >> yeah. >> So, we're we're still actively looking into that. Um, >> any other questions? >> No, that that answered, you know, that was along the lines of where I was going with this, you know, the safety aspect of it. >> Any other questions with that, >> Maria? No, I think that was pretty comprehensive. I you know if
034there was one sort of follow-up question I might ask um on average from the time someone is interviewed into the time until the point in which we offer them the position how much time transpires do you think? >> Um it really depends on med works. Sometimes the med works can take two to three weeks because you have to schedule an appointment formulate end results. I would say the average should be about four weeks from start to finish because you figure the interview process you have two rounds that's approximately a week. Um you need about 24 hours between 48 hours because you want to review the candidate pool. Um so I would say about a week for interview. The onboarding packet is pretty significant. Um because there's financial information if you're sitting up for 43B financial
035advisor and there's a lot of moving parts. It really depends on the indiv individual. I would say four weeks is of a range >> and two weeks of that is that medical physical process. >> We actually we just had um an employee now who was um stuck in the process and we were calling that works to try to speed up and we just got the official okay but that's where we tend to find um things slow down significantly. Okay. And and that process is um in our bylaws, >> correct? >> Gotcha. Okay. Yeah. So maybe it's something to look at in policy to see if um it if it's necessary or if there's a way to condense that process a little bit so that we can move the hiring process forward a little bit quicker.
036What what I can share uh Commissioner Simmons is um from my knowledge and the digging I've done is the reason why we instituted the Medworks physicals years ago was to check for TV. Um that was the only which my understanding is many school districts don't do that. Um >> Oh wow. So we're really that's and I believe actually in the bylaw it mentions that there will be a tuberculosis check a TV check. >> Thank you. That's helpful to know. Maybe we can see if that's still you know professional practice and if it's something that is recommended for us to maintain or if we can adopt a more streamlined process. But thank you. I do have to share Commissioner Simmons one more thing is because I do my homework. I that our school nurses are hired
037separately. We don't hire our school nurses. I I spoke to the head over at Bristol Health Department. I asked, "Do you require your nurses that directly service our students to go to Medworks every TV shop to check?" And she said, "No." >> Really? So if our school nurses are not going through this process of forcing all our certified >> staff to go through it was very interesting for me and I just learned about so I've been compiling my case >> that is interesting. >> Thank you. Wow that's that's very interesting. >> Yeah. Are there any other questions through the chair if you would allow >> um with regards to the clean slate act because I'm familiar with the directives around that from an IT standpoint. Do we know if that clean slate bill act or
038the clean slate bill impacted um that particular incident from last year at the so the research that we were looking and this is where it's interesting that individual had just turned 18 um and we've been trying to figure out the difference between arrests and convictions. So there's a you can find there's arrests, but we haven't gotten to the point yet to figure out if there were convictions. So the prior incident that had occurred, if there was no conviction, it wouldn't show up. >> Right. >> So that's I've been learning a lot about the the details are very interesting and how in the legislation it's very particular. >> Sometimes you can have an arrest, but there wasn't a true conviction and it could have dropped. I mean I >> Yeah. So I don't that I don't
039have that information yet. I've been curious about that. Yeah. >> So, considering the clean slate bill and um those potential hires that could be transitioning from maybe a juvenile justice system, which is extremely protected into adulthood that maybe perhaps um our talent management office might want to consider if there's extra precautions we would want to take to ensure that somebody who's just becoming 18, you know, there's no way for us to really, you know, check a juvenile record. We wouldn't do that. But um just some thoughts about that if there's other things that can be looked at especially if we know the person within the district or experience with the person in the district. I mean this is something a little probably more um you know subjective and certainly something within your means to develop
040what what helps us close a few more loopholes if possible. >> Yeah, it's a great suggestion. It was actually very interesting because the arrest was in August of 2018's arrive after graduation. If it happened just two months earlier that would have been within our own system. So really the timing of everything was very interesting. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. >> Google like back. Yeah. you know. Okay. >> Y >> um two things. >> Um just you know if the TV check wanted to be referred to policy just let me know. I'm happy to >> um you know administration has time be good to put on policy agenda. Um and then just to piggy back off of what u permission was saying, um juvenile riders are notable. Yeah, that's tough, you know. Um but
041the TV that would be a good thing to look into. I'll add it to that. >> Are there any other questions, comments? >> Great. Item 10 is adjournment. So, do we have a motion to adjurnn? >> Second. Second. Oh, I don't know. I'm sorry. Commissioner, did you second already? Commissioner Ozenowski. >> I made a motion. >> Yeah. Okay. Gotcha. >> All in favor? >> I was meeting. >> Thanks everyone. Have a great night.