Dear Broadalbin-Perth families:
You shouldn’t have to wonder if your children are safe in our schools.
As we continue to grieve over the senseless acts of violence in schools across the nation, I felt it was important to share with you my continued resolve and commitment to doing all that is within my power to protect the students, faculty, staff, and visitors that walk the halls of our schools. I am proud of all that we have accomplished this past year in improving our security systems, which include surveillance cameras, public announcement systems, mass communication systems, and internet monitoring and cybersecurity systems.
Additionally and with your support, Broadalbin-Perth employs a full-time, armed school resource officer at each of our campuses. Our SROs are highly skilled police officers who possess the highest level of training in active shooter preparedness and school campus security measures to ensure our buildings and school grounds are always safe and secure. You can be assured we have ramped up our efforts to monitor the activities in our school buildings and on our surrounding campus properties. This includes regular monitoring of video surveillance footage and in-person activity monitoring. We are monitoring activity in all areas during evening and weekend hours as much as we are while school is in session.
Broadalbin-Perth leaders, faculty, and staff are participating in regular safety and security response trainings, and your children are participating in regular safety and security drills throughout the school year. Members of the B-P safety and security team (including myself) meet with local and state law enforcement agencies on a regular basis to discuss and train for how to respond to a safety or security crisis if one arises in our schools or community.
Internet safety and cybersecurity are equally important to keeping our buildings safe and secure. Our internet security systems are robust and are monitoring ALL internet activity associated with Broadalbin-Perth schools. This includes every single internet search made and every email that is sent or received on a school device or a device that is connected to the school district’s WiFi. Broadalbin-Perth also utilizes a robust cybersecurity tool that analyzes social media platforms to ensure electronic communications of students and staff are safe and not threatening. Our robust internet and cybersecurity systems are working to identify potential areas of concern. As a result, students are being disciplined and removed from school if they are found to be participating in any form of threatening behavior online, regardless of their intent. Words matter, and when it comes to threatening language, we have a zero-tolerance policy. Please speak with your children about the importance of exercising safe and respectful behavior when on social media platforms and when communicating with their peers and teachers using email or any other online communication tool.
Nothing matters more to me than keeping our students, faculty, and staff safe when they are in our school buildings and on our school grounds. Please feel confident sending your children to school every day, knowing that we are regularly assessing our safety protocols, policies, and procedures to maintain a safe and secure learning environment. We sincerely appreciate your continued support of these efforts.
Warmest regards,
Stephen Tomlinson
Superintendent of Schools