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Parent urges district to revise safety plan for Williamsville East building layout
Summary
Parent Adrienne Cohen told the board that several lockdown procedures in the district safety plan cannot be implemented at Williamsville East because classrooms lack four walls and doors; she urged the district to coordinate with APD, SROs and outside security firms to develop tailored drills and protocols
A Williamsville parent told the Board of Education March 11 that the districtwide safety plan is not practicable for Williamsville East High School’s open classroom layout and urged immediate revision and coordination with law enforcement.
“Seven of the 15 [lockdown] procedures cannot be implemented at East,” parent Adrienne Cohen said during the public‑comment portion. “In the safety plan, the district has a specific lockdown plan per building, but I’m truly frightened to think that the specific plan for East…is to huddle in the corner of the room and hope for the best.”
Cohen said she has discussed the building’s logistics with several APD officers who told her a traditional lockdown model does not work for East. She asked the district to work with law enforcement and considered security contractors to develop drills staff and students can practice that fit East’s layout.
Why it matters: Cohen said the district plan lists practices that “cannot be accommodated at East without having four walls in the rooms,” and she warned that an inaccurate building‑level plan could hamper external responders during an actual emergency.
Cohen suggested the district consult its School Resource Officers and external specialists such as Armored 1, a private school‑security firm mentioned during her remarks. She asked the board to ensure East students and staff have “real strategies” and regular practice so responses are not improvised in a crisis.
Board response: The public‑comment format used at the meeting does not allow immediate back‑and‑forth; the board said commenters will receive an email response after the meeting. No formal board action on the safety plan was taken at the March 11 meeting.
Ending: Cohen said she “implore[d] you to please have meaningful discussions with law enforcement and area agencies” and urged the district to adopt practicable drills for the school’s physical layout.
