Westbury showcases safety upgrades nationally; district adds temporary security guards and schedules vestibule completions

Westbury Union Free School District officials told the board on Aug. 19 that recent security upgrades were showcased at a national safety conference and that the district has taken immediate steps to ensure full security staffing when school opens.

Assistant Superintendent for Personnel Dr. Roger Bloom said Westbury presented its safety work at a national conference after an outside review by the National Security and Safety Council. Dr. Bloom credited Supervisor Jennifer Doyle and Assistant Supervisor Zaneta Dean, and said district facilities work is visible at Westbury High School: "you see our security vestibules being installed. We're wearing our emergency notification badges. We have lockdown systems, door jar systems," he said.

To address short-term staffing challenges, Dr. Bloom said the district contracted with Arrow Security to provide additional guards while Westbury completes civil-service hiring processes. "There are at least a minimum of 10 security guards that will be present throughout the district by the time we open school on that Tuesday after Labor Day," Dr. Bloom said. He described the arrangement as flexible: Arrow supplies screened candidates the district can interview and then convert to district employees when civil-service hires are complete.

Facilities Director Brian Sudran (spelled in meeting as "Sudran" in the transcript) and others told the audience that vestibule construction is in progress but includes long-lead items such as storefronts and transaction windows. The district anticipates completion in "mid to late fall," Sudran said.

Community members raised related safety issues during the public comment period. One resident asked for speed-control measures in a high school parking lot; Sudran said the district purchased three portable speed bumps to deploy where needed and remove them in winter to avoid plow damage.

Why it matters: The district’s short-term security staffing plan and ongoing construction are meant to ensure an operational security posture on opening day. Using a contracted firm allows the district to place guards immediately and then move hires onto the district payroll as civil-service hiring permits.

What to watch for next: confirmation of the number and locations of Arrow Security guards on the first day of school, final vestibule completion dates, and any board actions required to formalize long-term security staffing or additional facilities expenditures.