Schools Reviewing Security Procedures

Local school districts are reviewing security policies and providing parents with information on how to help their children cope with the Newtown school killings.

South Huntington superintendent David Bennardo said in a newsletter emailed  Sunday, "While there is confidence in our security plan, we are always looking for ways to improve and enhance procedures. To this end, principals will be meeting with their faculty members and staff to review all security and emergency operations.

"We will also be reinforcing our building entry policies, testing communications, and examining the positioning of all district cameras. Finally, we will be conferencing with the Suffolk County Police Department to ensure maximum effectiveness in our building plans."

Huntington Superintendent James Polansky said Sunday that meetings were conducted Friday and more meetings are scheduled "at every school on Monday morning prior to school opening to review building security procedures, to reinforce lockdown protocol which were reviewed prior to Thanksgiving, and to review strategies for addressing the needs of students and staff who require additional assistance in the wake of Friday's Connecticut incident.

"While we have sound emergency/crisis plans in place that are reviewed annually, this provides us with an unfortunate opportunity to reflect on them in the context of an unthinkable tragedy."

Bennardo said, "Our teachers, counselors, and administrators stand ready to provide whatever support necessary as our students navigate these unsettling times. Our primary goal is to let our students know that they are safe and secure in our district schools."

Citing existing safety procedures, such as locked-door buzzer systems, and mandatory identification procedures, Bennardo added, "Our administrators have been trained in lockdown, lockout, and active threat protocols and these procedures are practiced in the building. Most importantly, we have committed faculty and staff who regard student safety as our top priority."

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Websites for both the Huntington and South Huntington districts provided links to advice from psychologists' organizations to assist parents.