Weekly Safety and Security Update
May 18, 2023
HCSD Weekly Safety and Security Update 5-18-23
Dear Hudson City School District community,
I want to thank everyone who participated in Tuesday’s budget vote and Board of Education election. Your partnership in the Hudson City School District is invaluable, and it was heartening to see the support for our students and our plans for the coming school year.
This has much to do with safety and security. The budget included the $100,000 capital outlay project for security upgrades at Montgomery C. Smith Elementary School. The project will prioritize security doors and upgraded heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) components at the school (This will be paid for by budgetary funds that will be reimbursed to the district by the state in the following year as a Capital Outlay Project).
The budget’s passage also allows us to move forward with many other initiatives we are undertaking. Even that, however, does not encompass all that we are doing as we continue to study, discuss and enact effective and innovative measures.
We are closely reviewing a K-12 Bystander Reporting Toolkit just introduced by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (a division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security) and the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center. This new resource supports schools in strengthening safety reporting programs and encouraging bystanders to report health and safety concerns. The toolkit offers strategies schools can use to ensure students are willing to report concerns – a key tactic in preventing school violence and preventing or resolving health issues.
Next week, district representatives will attend a two-day, in-person summit presented by the New York State Center for School Safety. The safety summit will provide training, information, and resources on topics related to developing and implementing an emergency response plan, and sessions designed to help create safe and supportive learning environments for the whole school community. The summit will be held next Wednesday and Thursday in Albany. I plan to attend along with Ms. Tabatha Biggane, Chief Financial Officer; Ms. Cheryl Rabinowitz, Manager of Instructional Technology; and Mr. Tyler Kriztman, Head of Maintenance.
Later today, the Safety and Advisory Committee will hold its next meeting from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the library of Hudson Senior High School, 215 Harry Howard Ave. The meeting is open to the public.
As always, I urge you to share any suggestions, concerns and comments at safety@hudsoncsd.org.
Thank you for your partnership in this matter.
Dr. Lisamarie Spindler
Superintendent of School
Hudson City School District
