Westbury district says no federal agents entered schools after Park Avenue sighting; superintendent outlines safety steps

The Westbury Union Free School District told parents and community members at its June action meeting that, despite reports and a visible law-enforcement presence near Park Avenue School, the district has not had any federal authority request entry to district buildings.

Superintendent Dr. Chase said district staff met in winter to create and rehearse protocols for handling any approach by outside law enforcement and that the district has used targeted community channels—including PTA leaders, FACE liaisons and Saint Bridget’s Church—to notify families when a possible issue might arise. “Advocacy doesn’t always have to be loud, but it has to be active,” Dr. Chase told the auditorium.

The district acknowledged that uniformed officers or vehicles staged near a school can have a chilling effect: board remarks at the meeting said personnel saw a drop in attendance at Park Avenue the day after the reported staging. The district stated it will continue to protect student privacy and safety while working with local partners; the superintendent also said graduation events will include an “additional layer of safety and security” and that graduations will be streamed for families who cannot attend.

Dr. Chase described training for school administrators and the PPS (pupil personnel services) team and said the district prioritized communicating with families through trusted community partners so information would reach non‑English speakers and those without direct district contact. “One of the safest places our children can be is in one of our schools,” she said.

The board did not announce any change in policy at the meeting. Attendance figures and the precise timing and nature of the law-enforcement activity near Park Avenue were not quantified at the meeting and were described as “not specified” by district speakers.