Introduction

Emergencies and violent incidents in our schools are taken seriously and dealt with expeditiously. The District-wide Safety Plan is responsive to the needs of our two schools and the plan is specifically sensitive to the urban location of our buildings and the age of our students. For all intents and purposes of a safety plan, many of the decisions will involve the Chain of Command, which includes employees of Roosevelt Children’s Academy Charter School (RCACS). The State of New York has enacted the Safe Schools Against Violence in Education (SAVE) law. Project SAVE is a comprehensive planning effort that addresses prevention, response, and recovery with respect to a variety of emergencies in each school district and its schools. RCACS supports the SAVE legislation and intends to facilitate the planning and implementation process using members of the school, community, law enforcement and state expertise.

General Considerations and Planning Guidelines

The RCACS District-wide Safety Plan is developed pursuant to Commissioner’s Regulation. To this end, the RCACS School Board of Education asked the Principal to coordinate the plan’s development using numerous stakeholders including school staff, community residents, and police agencies. The plan was presented at a parent meeting and public input was accepted. The format and terminology follow the Project SAVE Technical Assistance Chart provided by NYSED.
We are committed to promoting a safe and healthy learning environment where our students are secure in their pursuit of educational success. This plan is therefore to ensure that all school students and personnel have the knowledge and the resources for addressing prevention, response and recovery, early warning signs, procedures for helping children, and how to handle a violent episode in our school.