In Wake of Parkland Shooting, Rye Schools Enhance Security
In a note to parents Monday, School Superintendent Eric Byrne reported new security procedures are being introduced at Rye Schools. The note comes in the wake of the Parkland, Florida school shooting. "Effective today, we have enacted some new procedures to enhance security. The front doors at the Middle School/High School are now locked as they have been at the three elementary schools for some time," said Bryne in the note. "Visitors to the connected building must now be "buzzed in" by a security guard and will be required to produce identification at time of entry."
Further security features are expected to be announced soon.
Byrne also said the school would cooperate with students participating in National School Walkout Day at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 14. The school is working with security personnel and Rye PD to make sure safety procedures will be in place.
Read the email:
From: Eric Byrne
Sent: Monday, February 26, 2018
To: Rye City School District Recipients
Subject: March 14 National School Walkout Day and New Security Procedures
Dear RCSD Parents and Guardians,
Welcome back – I hope you and your family had a rejuvenating mid-winter recess. As you may have heard via the news or social media, students across the country are planning a National School Walkout Day at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 14, the one-month anniversary of the tragedy in Parkland, Florida. The walkout is planned to last for 17 minutes in recognition of the 17 lives lost that day. We respect our students’ activism and interest in participating in this event. Our primary concern is keeping everyone safe during the course of the walkout. To that end, we are working internally with our administrators and security personnel and externally with the Rye Police Department to provide a safe, secure environment for the walkout. In the coming days, I will have more details to share as we collaborate with our local police.
I also wish to convey that over the last few years we have made major improvements in the safety and security of our buildings. Effective today, we have enacted some new procedures to enhance security. The front doors at the Middle School/High School are now locked as they have been at the three elementary schools for some time. Visitors to the connected building must now be "buzzed in" by a security guard and will be required to produce identification at time of entry. This new procedure, while slightly inconvenient, is in the best interest of our students, faculty and staff.
In the coming weeks, I will be announcing some additional security enhancements. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the principal or assistant principal at your students' school or schools, or you should feel free to reach out to me directly at 914-967-6100, ext. 6271, or via email at [email protected].
I’d like to take this opportunity to remind parents and guardians of the many student resource professionals available at our schools; a document with their names and contact information is posted to the website in the “Families” section and can be accessed by clicking here.
Sincerely,
Dr. Eric Byrne
Superintendent of Schools
