Brentwood outlines 'preventative' safety and wellness plan: cameras, guards, restorative programs expanded

Brentwood Union Free School District on Oct. 9 presented a districtwide “Safe, Supported, and Strong” plan that pairs expanded security infrastructure with restorative and student-facing supports intended to prevent disciplinary incidents and improve student wellbeing.

At a public workshop, district leaders detailed new and ongoing measures: two security guards at every school building, camera replacements that McCray said are about 80% complete, a new visitor-management system, nonintrusive randomized safety searches intended not to disrupt instruction, and a newly formed fire-safety team and medical response unit. "We do have 2 guards at every building," Byron McCray, the district’s director of school safety, said, citing the staffing increases and other operational changes now in place.

The presentation emphasized prevention and connection over punishment. Assistant Superintendent Matthew Gengler framed the district’s approach as holistic and proactive, tying safety, discipline and wellness to the district’s Graduation Plus strategic goals. "We have a holistic approach where Brentwood Union Free School District prepares students for life beyond school through an integrated support…