Ossining board adopts districtwide safety plan, approves consultants and several agreements
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Summary
At its Aug. 13 meeting the Ossining Board adopted the districtwide school safety and building emergency plans, approved revisions to the 2025–26 calendar, authorized continued participation in the Lower Hudson RIC operations center, approved consultant appointments (one abstention), and passed two facility agreements and personnel resolutions.
The Ossining Union Free School District Board of Education on Aug. 13 held a public hearing on the districtwide school safety and emergency management plan and followed with consent votes that adopted the district plan and several other resolutions.
The hearing opened with the chair noting the public comment period required under Education Law §2801 and NYCRR 155.17. Mary Fox Alter introduced Michelle Monahan of Alteras, the district’s safety consultant. Monahan told the board that each of the district’s six school buildings has a confidential building‑level safety plan (containing evacuation locations, lockdown procedures and contact lists) that is reviewed by the board in executive session; the districtwide plan is a public document posted for a 30‑day comment period before adoption. Monahan said she did not believe any public comments were received during the 30‑day period.
Monahan and Alter described the scope of drills and debriefs used to prepare staff and students, noting the district schedules drills at varied times and conducts formal debriefs after each drill to identify improvements. Alter observed that construction in some buildings required updates to individual building procedures.
After the presentation the board moved to approve the consent agenda. The board adopted items 5.1–5.4, which included the districtwide school safety and emergency management plan, school building emergency response plans, the revised 2025–26 school calendar, and continued participation in the Lower Hudson Regional Information Center Risk Operations Center. The board then took item 5.5 separately and voted to appoint consultants for the 2025–26 school year; that motion passed with one abstention recorded for 'professional reasons.'
The Board also approved a business‑office agreement with First Presbyterian Church (First Steps) under resolution 6.1 and approved an agreement with the Austin Children’s Center under 6.2. Personnel resolutions covering resignations, appointments and leaves (7.1–7.14) were moved and adopted as a block.
Monahan emphasized that building safety plans are confidential for security reasons and are reviewed in executive session. "These plans are confidential documents that have been reviewed by the board of ed and are approved in executive session due to the confidential nature of what is in them," she said. She added that the district plan was posted and the 30‑day public comment period had ended with no comments.
Votes at a glance • 5.1 – Adopt districtwide school safety and emergency management plan: Approved (board vote recorded as 'Aye'; no roll‑call tally in transcript). • 5.2 – Adopt school building emergency response plans: Approved. • 5.3 – Adopt revised 2025–26 school district calendar: Approved. • 5.4 – Authorize continued participation in Lower Hudson RIC Risk Operations Center: Approved. • 5.5 – Appoint consultants for 2025–26: Approved (one abstention recorded by a board member citing professional reasons). • 6.1 – Agreement with First Presbyterian Church, First Steps: Approved. • 6.2 – Agreement with Austin Children’s Center: Approved. • 7.1–7.14 – Personnel matters (resignations, appointments, leaves): Approved.
The public hearing on the safety plan formally closed with no public testimony. Next steps: because the district plan was posted for comment and the board voted to adopt it as part of the consent agenda, it will remain the district’s public safety framework; building‑level plans will remain confidential and subject to executive‑session review.
