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Manhasset holds hearing on district-wide safety plan updates, no vote taken
Summary
At a public hearing, district staff outlined proposed revisions to emergency-response terminology, annual training requirements and reunification procedures in the district-wide safety plan; the board did not vote Thursday and will consider the plan later.
Manhasset Union Free School District held a public hearing on proposed updates to its district-wide school safety plan, covering emergency-response terminology, annual multi-hazard staff and student training, and reunification procedures. Sam (district staff) summarized the changes and said the plan includes revised definitions for evacuate, shelter in place, lockdown, hold in place and secure lockout and notes building-level incident command responsibilities.
The changes matter because the district must certify to the commissioner that staff have received annual training; Sam said buildings must complete that training by Sept. 15 and that any employees hired after the start of the school year must be trained within 30 days. The plan also specifies minimum content for building-level emergency-response plans, including evacuation routes, shelter sites, procedures for medical needs, consideration for people with access and functional needs, emergency transportation and student–family reunification procedures.
Board members and administrators emphasized safety as the district’s primary responsibility. “This is job one for everyone from the board all the way down the line,” a board member said during the discussion. Sam noted the district developed the plan with input from the districtwide safety committee, Nassau BOCES and the facilities office; he also referenced consultation with Homeland Security. The building-level emergency response plans are maintained within each school and do not require a public hearing, Sam added.
Because the meeting was a hearing only, there was no board vote on the safety plan at this session. The board chair and staff said the hearing begins the required public-comment period and that the plan will be returned for approval after the comment period and any additional edits are incorporated. Staff said the proposed definitions and procedural updates would be incorporated for the 2025–26 school year, with some items effective July 1.
The board asked staff to cross-reference the plan language with district policy where appropriate and to bring any recommended cross-references or edits back to the board before final approval. Staff highlighted the district’s annual reunification plan as a standing agenda item to ensure procedures for reuniting students with parents are current.
The hearing record will be kept and the district will accept written comments during the public-comment period before final consideration by the board.
