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Ithaca school officials describe safety-plan updates tied to new state regulation; board expected to consider approval Jan. 13
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Summary
School-district staff briefed the public on updates to the annual safety plan required by a new commissioner's regulation, including trauma-informed drills, revised terminology and extreme-heat guidance; staff said the plan will be presented to the board for likely approval on Jan. 13.
The Ithaca City School District held a public hearing on its annual safety plan where staff summarized updates prompted by a new state commissioner's regulation and described next steps toward board approval.
Dan, a district safety presenter, told the hearing the district is following a new commissioner's regulation (referred to in the hearing as 155.17) that requires revisions to standards for drills, emergency planning, terminology and communication. "We were given a new regulation, late in the year," he said, and the district incorporated the changes into the draft plan.
The plan includes requirements for trauma-informed drills and advanced notification of families to reduce distress. "We want to make sure that all parents and caregivers are given at least a week's notice of all the drills," Dan said, adding that staff will clearly identify drills as drills when they occur.
Staff also described updated language for response posters and signage (shelter in place, hold in place, evacuate, lockdown) to match the state's amended terms; those materials will be updated and posted after the hearing. The district said the safety team that reviewed the changes includes local law-enforcement representatives, BOCES partners, principals, athletic directors and union leaders.
On extreme-heat response, Dan summarized state guidance that triggers actions at 82 degrees and calls for relocation to cooler spaces "when practical" at 88 degrees. "At 82 degrees, we have to start taking action," he said, and staff described steps such as drawing shades, turning on fans and relocating classrooms only when feasible.
On environmental threats the district said it will continue to rely on public-health guidance from Tompkins County, the National Weather Service and the DEC for wildfire-smoke and air-quality decisions rather than setting a standalone AQI threshold in the safety plan.
Board members and staff repeatedly described the safety plan as a living document and said they would accept clarifications or addenda after the hearing. The chair said the board is likely to consider the plan for approval at its Jan. 13 meeting after the required public-posting period.
The hearing concluded with the chair thanking staff for preparing the more than 100-page draft and reminding the public that comments can also be submitted through the district's online portal.
