East Brunswick BOE Provides Update On School Security During Meeting

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — In wake of the school shooting in Uvalde Texas, that left 19 students and two teachers dead, many community members have been concerned about security.

At the last Board of Education meeting, board member Mark Csizmar gave the community an update on the school’s security measures.

"Security in a school setting is a balance between freedom of movement and protection. The learning must go on but there are risks involved in school and in all aspects of life,” Csizmar said. “Risks must be identified and cannot remain unmitigated. People cannot become complacent; protocols must be followed – every time.”

Csizmar assured the community that the district has many layers of security that they do not talk about in public. “This is to protect students, staff, visitors,” he said.

The school’s security team is comprised of four former law enforcement officers. The team is led by Paul Natalicchio, director of school security operations.

Csizmar said Natalicchio has the full support of the school superintendent and the board “in this very important matter.”

“He will not become complacent. He continues to research and implement best practices. And he keeps the district very safe by not tolerating others becoming complacent.”

Having the proper protocols in place in never enough, Csizmar said. He asked that everyone be held accountable to follow these protocols.

“The lives of everyone in our district is far too important.”

Since the shooting in Texas, law enforcement agencies across the state have enhanced their presence across schools.

There has also been a rise in the number of social media threats made to local schools recently.

On Monday, West Windsor police said a student was charged for making a “non-credible” social media threat to High School North.

St. Rose of Lima School in Freehold closed on Monday out of an "abundance of caution," to investigate a social media post made over the weekend.

In Moorestown police said a student made threats against William Allen Middle School.

Police also responded to a threat made to a school in Caldwell.

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