Byron-Bergen highlights layered school safety after symposium; SRO duties emphasized

The Byron-Bergen Central School District Board heard a School Safety Symposium update stressing a layered approach to safety, with Superintendent P. McGee and law-enforcement partners urging community vigilance. "If You See Something, PLEASE Say Something," presenters told the meeting, urging students, staff and families to report concerns.

Superintendent P. McGee and Genesee County representatives summarized recent security investments funded in part through SMART Bond projects: interior and exterior cameras, mass-notification systems, replacement of exterior doors and tightened entry procedures using ID badges and the Raptor visitor-management system. The district also uses the PikMyKid dismissal app at the Elementary School to reduce visitors during instructional time. SRO Josh Brabon, in his fifth year at Byron-Bergen, was identified as performing multiple functions: responding to law-enforcement needs, contributing to counseling and mental-health support, participating on the Threat Assessment and TIG (Trauma Illness Grief) teams, and acting as a liaison to emergency personnel.

Administrators noted non-security investments that support safety, including the addition of a school social worker and a school psychologist, regular review of safety plans, bus cameras, and morning greeting protocols with administrators and SROs on exterior entrances. The board framed safety as a balance between protecting students and keeping schools welcoming, and said capital and operational measures would continue to be prioritized.