Brentwood presents security upgrades, staffing and equipment requests ahead of 2024–25 budget

Good evening. At a budget workshop on April 12, Brentwood Union Free School District safety staff outlined a package of security upgrades completed this year and new requests for the 2024–25 school year, including finishing a districtwide camera replacement, expanding monitoring at a new safety center, a playground safety pilot, anonymous tipline upgrades, vaping-prevention programming and requests to convert middle-school part-time guards to full-time positions and to add two security vehicles.

The district's safety presentation, led by Byron McCray, described projects already under way and equipment and personnel needs that will have budget implications. McCray said completed and ongoing work includes a nearly finished camera replacement at the high school, completed elementary installations, and an operating safety center at the high school staffed full time. He said the Freshman Center monitoring setup remains not fully operational but is expected to be finished in 2025–26.

McCray told the board the district uses Student Community Relations officers for…