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Resident asks board about background checks, DASA coordinator and medication access; superintendent says district exceeds state checks
Summary
At the Sept. 3 Harrison Central School District Board of Education meeting, resident Tara Felice pressed the board on hiring practices, background checks beyond state requirements, DASA coordination and medication administration; the superintendent said the district performs multiple checks and follows State Education Department standards.
Tara Felice, a resident, used the public-participation portion of the Harrison Central School District Board of Education meeting on Sept. 3 to ask the board about hiring practices and safety screening.
“Does the district conduct background checks beyond the New York State criminal database?” Felice asked, and also asked whether the district verifies records with outside organizations such as SafeSport and the New York State professional-misconduct registry, whether the district does substance testing, and which staff members are authorized to access and administer student medications.
The superintendent, speaking during the meeting’s administrative update, said the district’s background checks are “the most thorough that you will find” and acknowledged the district performs more than a single check. “We actually do more than 1. But who gets to work in a school district is determined by the New York State Education Department,” the superintendent said, adding that applicants must disclose information on their applications and that the district’s application process screens for omissions.
Felice also asked about the district’s DASA (Dignity for All Students Act) coordinator; she said she could not find a named coordinator during her research and suggested the district consider hiring a certified DASA coordinator. The superintendent responded that principals and assistant principals are certified in DASA, that each building has DASA-appointed staff, and that DASA personnel are listed in meeting minutes and online.
On budget transparency and public engagement, the superintendent said the district maintains a Citizens’ Budget Advisory Committee open to the public and conducts roughly 14 public budget presentations each year.
The board did not take any separate vote on additional screening practices or on creating a separate DASA coordinator position during the meeting; Felice was invited to submit her questions in writing for follow-up.
