Syosset board opens 30‑day public comment on districtwide safety plan; officials highlight trainings, 63 AEDs and $15M in upgrades

The Syosset Central School District Board of Education opened a public hearing July 1 on the districtwide school safety plan and voted to appoint a districtwide safety team, beginning a 30‑day public comment period from July 2 through Aug. 2 ahead of a planned formal adoption on Aug. 24.

Erin Goldweave, assistant superintendent for pupil personnel services and the district’s chief emergency officer, described the plan’s structure and the district’s dual approach: a public districtwide plan to coordinate resources across schools and confidential, building‑level emergency response plans. "Each year, the district reviews its safety plan and opens it up for public comment and feedback," Goldweave said, adding the plans address prevention, response and recovery and align with New York State Department of Education guidance and local partners including the Nassau County Second Precinct.

Goldweave and colleagues emphasized prevention measures and training. Wellness teams and specially trained staff support risk and threat assessment; the district requires 12 drills per year, with eight (including two lockdowns) occurring before Dec. 1, and has moved to trauma‑informed drill practices to avoid unnecessarily distressing simulations. "We conduct walkthroughs regularly with building administration and local law enforcement," said a member of the presentation team, noting at least 12 trained staff per building and internal crisis‑prevention trainers drawn from the district’s psychology staff.

The presentation outlined a formal threat‑assessment capability: personnel completed three days of intensive training with clinical and forensic psychologist Dr. Kostas Katsbakus. The district also uses an anonymous reporting tool provided by Sandy Hook Promise and said its IT team monitors digital indicators as part of prevention efforts.

Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Adam Kurinishi described the district’s cardiac emergency readiness and broader safety investments: the district maintains 63 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) placed to meet a target retrieval time well under the three‑minute state standard, trains staff in CPR/AED through American Heart Association courses, and organizes pre‑designated cardiac response teams in each building. Kurinishi also said the district has invested more than $15 million in safety enhancements since 2018, including about $4.6 million from the 2025 capital bond for automatic classroom door locks and other physical upgrades.

The district’s timeline calls for the safety plan to be posted for review July 2–Aug. 2, presented to the board for formal adoption on Aug. 24, and then posted to the district website and submitted to the New York State Education Department and local law enforcement. Board members asked for questions after the presentation; none were raised during the meeting.

The board’s next procedural step is the Aug. 24 meeting, when it will consider formal adoption of the safety plan.