The Capital Region BOCES Board of Education is now accepting comments regarding its draft BOCES-Wide Safety Plan through July 20, 2026.  

The draft plan is available for review at this link. 

Comments may be submitted to the Board Clerk at alissa.diamond@neric.org no later than July 20. A public hearing on the safety plan will be held on Monday, July 20, 2026 at 6 p.m. at 900 Watervliet-Shaker Road. 

Plan in plain text:

DRAFT: Albany-Schoharie-Schenectady-Saratoga BOCES
BOCES-Wide School Safety Plan

Revised: January 15, 2026
Public Comment Period: June 20, 2026 – July 20, 2026
Public Hearing: July 20, 2026
BOE Re-Adopted: July 20, 2026

Albany-Schoharie-Schenectady-Saratoga BOCES

BOCES-Wide School Safety Plan Table of Contents

Introduction

• Section I: General Considerations and Planning Guidelines
  • Purpose
  • Identification of Chief Emergency Officer
  • Identification of School Teams
  • Concept of Operations
  • Plan Review and Public Comment
• Section II: General Emergency Response Planning
  Identification of Potential Emergency Sites
  • Response Plan Options
  • Resources
  • Resource Coordination
  • Annual Multi-Hazard Training
  • Annual Drills and Exercises
  • Threat Assessment
• Section III: Responding to Threats and Acts of Violence
  • Responding to Threats of Violence
  • Responding to Acts of Violence and Zero-Tolerance
  • Law Enforcement Involvement
  • Identification of Appropriate Responses
• Section IV: Communication with Others
  • Obtaining Local Emergency Assistance
  • Obtaining County and State Emergency Assistance
  • Educational Agencies within BOCES Boundaries
  • NYS/BOCES Communication Flow Chart
  • ICS Communication
• Section V: Prevention and Intervention Strategies
  • Building Security
  • Early Detection
  • Prevention/Intervention Strategies
  • Student Programs
  • Job Duties (hall monitors and security)
  • Desha’s Law – Plans for Cardiac Emergencies
• Section VI: Recovery
• Section VII: Declared State of Emergency Involving a Communicable Disease
• Section VIII: Emergency Remote Instruction

  Appendix A: BOCES Buildings, Contacts and Phone Numbers
  Appendix B: Potential Hazardous Sites
  Appendix C: Communicable Disease – Pandemic Continuity of Operations Plan
  Appendix D: Emergency Remote Instruction Plan
  Appendix E: School Resource Officer (SRO) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

Albany-Schoharie-Schenectady-Saratoga BOCES BOCES – WIDE SCHOOL SAFETY PLAN PROJECT SAVE (Safe Schools Against Violence in Education) Commissioner’s Regulation 155.17

Introduction

Emergencies and violent incidents in school districts are critical issues that must be addressed in an expeditious and effective manner. BOCES are required to develop a district-wide school safety plan (organization-wide) designed to prevent or minimize the effects of serious violent incidents and emergencies and to facilitate the coordination of the BOCES with local and county resources in the event of such incidents or emergencies. The district-wide plan is responsive to the needs of all schools within the BOCES and is consistent with the more detailed emergency response plans required at the school building level. BOCES stand at risk from a wide variety of acts of violence, natural, and manmade disasters. To address these threats, 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 BOCES and its schools.

The Albany-Schoharie-Schenectady-Saratoga BOCES supports the SAVE Legislation and intends to facilitate the planning process. The District Superintendent encourages and advocates on-going BOCES-wide cooperation and support of Project SAVE.

Section I: General Considerations and Planning Guidelines

1. Purpose
   The Albany-Schoharie-Schenectady-Saratoga BOCES-wide school safety plan was developed pursuant to Commissioner’s Regulation 155.17. At the direction of the Albany-Schoharie-Schenectady-Saratoga BOCES Board of Education, the District Superintendent of the Albany-Schoharie-Schenectady-Saratoga BOCES appointed a BOCES-wide school safety team and charged it with the development and maintenance of the BOCES-wide school safety plan.
2. Identification of Chief Emergency Officer
   The Albany-Schoharie-Schenectady-Saratoga BOCES designates the Director of Management and Administrative Services as the BOCES Chief Emergency Officer whose duties shall include, but not be limited to:
   1. Coordination of the communication between school staff, law enforcement, and other first responders;
   2. Lead the efforts of the BOCES Health & Safety Committee in the completion and yearly update by September 1st, of the BOCES-wide school safety plan and the coordination of the BOCES-wide plan with the building-level emergency response plan;
   3. Ensure staff understanding of the BOCES–wide school safety plan;
   4. Ensure the completion and yearly update by September 1st, of building-level emergency response plans for each school building;
   5. Assist in the selection of security related technology and development of policies for the use of such technology;
   6. Coordinate appropriate safety, security, and emergency training for all BOCES staff, including required training in the emergency response plan yearly by September 15th; and 1
   7. Ensure the conduct of required evacuation and lock-down drills in all BOCES school buildings as required by Education Law section 807.
3. Identification of School Teams
   The Albany-Schoharie-Schenectady-Saratoga BOCES has created a BOCES Health & Safety Committee appointed by the board of education consisting of, but not limited to, representatives of the school board, teacher, administrator, and parent organizations, school safety personnel and other school personnel. The members of the team by title are as follows:
   • Director of Management and Administrative Services – chair
   • Director of Facilities
   • Director of Special Education or designee
   • Director of Career & Technical Education or designee
   • Director of Human Resources
   • Director of Engagement & Development
   • School Attorney
   • Director of Business Operations
   • Union Representatives (CSEA, PAO, Teachers & TA’s)
   • Board of Education Member
4. Concept of Operations
   • The BOCES-wide school safety plan is directly linked to the individual building-level emergency response plan to the school. Protocols reflected in the BOCES-wide school safety plan guide the development and implementation of individual building-level emergency response plan.
   • In the event of an emergency, potentially violent, or violent incident, the initial response to all emergencies at an individual school is by the building-level emergency response team.
   • Upon the activation of the building-level emergency response team, the District Superintendent or their designee is notified and, where appropriate, local emergency officials are notified.
   • Efforts may be supplemented by County and State resources through existing protocols.
5. Plan review and public comment
   • This plan shall be reviewed and maintained by the Albany-Schoharie-Schenectady-Saratoga BOCES Health & Safety Committee and reviewed on an annual basis on or before September 1st of each year. A copy of the plan is available on the BOCES website.
   • Pursuant to Commissioner’s Regulation 155.17 this plan will be made available for 30-day public comment prior to its re-adoption. The BOCES-wide school safety plan will be re-adopted by the School Board on July 20, 2026, after the required public hearing that provided for the participation of school personnel, parents, students and any other interested parties.
   • While linked to the BOCES-wide school safety plan, the building-level emergency response plan shall be confidential and shall not be subject to disclosure under Article 6 of the Public Officers Law or any other provision of law, in accordance with Education Law Section 2801-a. The building-level emergency response plan shall be kept confidential and shall not be disclosed except to authorized department staff and law enforcement officers.
   • Full copies of the BOCES-wide school safety plan and any amendments are submitted to the New York State Education Department within 30 days of adoption by posting this public plan on the BOCES website. The building-level emergency response plan is supplied to the NYS State Police and local law enforcement within 30 days of adoption, but no later than October 15th.

Section II: General Emergency Response Planning

The BOCES-wide school safety plan provides the framework for the building-level emergency response plan. The purpose of a uniform plan is to ensure organization-wide continuity for emergency responses. These general emergency responses are used to assist school employees, students, parents and emergency responders learn one system that can be used by the Albany-Schoharie-Schenectady-Saratoga BOCES.

1. Identification of sites of potential emergency, including:
   • The BOCES Health & Safety Committee in conjunction with local officials has identified areas outside of school property that may impact a BOCES facility during an emergency. Factors that were considered included population, presence of hazardous materials, and potential for emergency based on national trends and proximity to BOCES property.
   • A list of areas has been identified as having the potential to impact BOCES facilities. This list has been created for reference and awareness. The list is not all-inclusive for every emergency. However, these areas have been identified as having the most probable impact on BOCES facilities or boundaries should they have or create an emergency. A list of potential community-based hazards or emergency situations has been noted in the building-level emergency response plan
   • The BOCES Health & Safety Committee has recognized that there are many factors that could cause an emergency within our school building. There are also factors that need to be considered when responding to an emergency. A list of potential internal and external hazards or emergency situations has been noted in the building-level emergency response plan.
2. The BOCES has developed multi-hazard response guidelines. These guidelines are located in the building-level emergency response plan and are in ICS (Incident Command System) format. Plans for taking the following actions in response to an emergency where appropriate are, including but not limited to:
   • Initial Actions
   • Command Post Location (primary and secondary)
   • Shelter in Place: Used to shelter students/staff inside the school
   • Severe Weather
   • Bomb Threat
   • HazMat Incident
   • Hold-In Place: Limits student/staff movement while dealing with short term emergencies
   • Evacuation: Used to evacuate students/staff from the school
   • Before, during and after school hours, including security during evacuation and evacuation routes
   • Evacuation/Relocation Sites (internal and external)
   • Secure Lockout: Used to secure school buildings and grounds during incidents that pose an imminent concern outside of the school
   • Lockdown: Used to secure school buildings and grounds during incidents that pose an immediate threat of violence in or around the school.
   • School Cancellation
   • Early Dismissal

Emergencies include, but are not limited to:

• Air Pollution
• Epidemic
• Medical Emergency
• Anthrax/Biological
• Explosion
• Natural Gas Leak
• Aviation Crash
• Fire Alarm Activation
• Radiological
• Bldg. Structural Failure
• Flood
• Rook Leak/Failure
• Bomb Threat
• Heating System Failure
• School Bus Accident
• Civil Disturbance
• Hostage Situation
• Severe Weather Emergency
• Crimes Against People
• Sudden Death of Staff/Student
• Earthquake
• Loss of Building
• Threats of Violence
• Elec. System Failure
• Loss of Buses
• Water Emergency
• Energy Supply Loss
• Mass Casualty

C. The BOCES has identified various resources that may be available for use during an emergency, including the identification of personnel, equipment and shelters.
D. Using the ICS (Incident Command System) the BOCES has identified the BOCES officials authorized to make decisions during an emergency. Through ICS, the procedures to coordinate the use of resources and manpower during emergencies are clearly defined. ICS also identifies the staff members and their backups assigned to provide assistance during emergencies.
E. The BOCES has policies and procedures for annual multi-hazard school safety training for staff and students, including the strategies for implementing training related to multi-hazards. Beginning with the 2017-2018 school year, all staff will undergo annual training by September 15 and each subsequent September 15 thereafter on the building-level emergency response plan which includes components on violence prevention and mental health. New employees hired after the start of the school year receive this training within 30 days of hire or as part of the BOCES existing new hire training program, whichever is sooner. The BOCES certifies that this training is completed during the October NYSED BEDS data collection.
Method(s) have been established to provide this training on an annual basis to include but not be limited to: early dismissal/go home drill, shelter-in place, hold-in-place, evacuation/fire drills, lockout, lockdown, table top exercises and Incident Command System training.
F. The BOCES conducts drills and other training exercises to test components of the emergency response plan, including the use of tabletop exercises, in coordination with local, county, and state emergency responders and preparedness officials. A debriefing concludes each test to determine if changes to the plan are necessary. Exercises that include props, actors, simulations, or other tactics intended to mimic a school shooting or other act of violence or emergency will not be conducted on a regular school day and when school activities such as athletics are occurring on school grounds. In addition, such exercises will not include students without written consent from parents or persons in parental relation.

Fire and Emergency Drills. The BOCES, at least once every school year, and where possible in cooperation with local county emergency preparedness plan officials, conducts one test of its emergency response procedures under its building-level emergency response plan, including sheltering, lock-down, or early dismissal, at a time not to occur more than 15 minutes earlier than the normal dismissal time.

Education Law §§ 807(1-a), 807 (b): Fire and Emergency Drills
The July 2016 amendments expanded fire drill requirements to also include emergency drills to prepare students to be able to respond appropriately in the event of a sudden emergency. The statute now requires twelve drills be conducted each school year, four of which must be lock-down drills, the remaining eight are required to be evacuation drills. There is still a requirement that eight of the required twelve drills must be completed in the first half of the school year. However, the date of completion has been changed from December 1 to December 31 of each school year.

The statute now explicitly requires schools to conduct lock-down drills, which are essential, because they prepare students and staff to respond to the highest level of threat with the most urgent action and the least margin for error. The goal is to have schools conduct drills where they immediately clear hallways, lock doors and take positions out of sight to practice their ability to put the building into a protective posture as quickly as possible. These emergency measures allow time for responding law enforcement to arrive on scene and neutralize the threat. If possible, law enforcement should be involved in the drills to help prepare students and staff for their interactions and release from lock-down by uniformed officers. However, law enforcement involvement is not required by the new legislative mandate. Other protective actions such as lock-out or shelter in place are emergency actions that are usually preceded by some degree of warning time and do not require the immediate response necessary for a lock-down. While the school should be well versed in their lock-out and shelter in place protocols, lock-down is the only type of protective action that is specifically required by statute.

The BOCES conducts drills and training in a trauma-informed, developmentally, and age-appropriate manner. Drills and training do not include props, actors, simulations, or other tactics intended to mimic a school shooting, incident of violence, or other emergency.

Parents or persons of parental relation will be notified at least one week prior to conducting ANY drill.

The BOCES has installed manual “Lockdown” devices. In the event of an intruder, these devices will alert both building occupants and local law enforcement. These devices will be tested at least annually.

Threat Assessment

When a student or staff member becomes aware of implied or direct threats of violence by other students, he/she must report the threat immediately to the principal or other designated administrator. The appropriate administrator shall determine if it is necessary to convene the threat assessment team in order to make further inquiries about the threat. The threat assessment team process allows the school to systematically investigate student-made threats to determine apparent risk level of the student of concern. Threat assessment inquiries are non-bias and conducted using standardized questionnaires. The purpose of the threat assessment process is to determine if a student poses a real danger to the school community or themselves after gathering information from multiple sources.

The school’s designated administrator (Threat Assessment Team Leader) will manage the threat assessment program. They are responsible for ensuring new members of the threat assessment team receive training in a timely manner. If the school threat assessment team is activated and performs a threat assessment, the Team Leader (or designee) shall notify the Division Director or other administration to determine appropriate management of the student of concern. Disciplinary action, if any, will be in accordance with BOCES policy. Reports of potentially violent incidents shall be given to the Division Director, District Superintendent or BOCES administration as soon as practicable.

Section III: Responding to Threats and Acts of Violence

1. The BOCES Building-level Emergency Response plans contain procedures for responding to implied or direct threats of violence by students, teachers, other school personnel and visitors to the school, including threats by students against themselves, which includes suicide. The following types of procedures are addressed in the plan:
   • The use of staff trained in de-escalation or other strategies to diffuse the situation.
   • Informing the District Superintendent or designee of implied or direct threats.
   • Determining the level of threat with the District Superintendent, Corporate ERT and building-level emergency response team members.
   • Contacting the appropriate law enforcement agency, if necessary.
   • Monitoring the situation, adjusting the BOCES responses as appropriate to include possible implementation of the building-level emergency response team.
   • Communication with parent/guardian. When a student implies or specifically threatens self-inflicted violence including suicide, the school’s social worker directly contacts the respective parents/guardians. For all other potentially violent incidents, parents/guardians of those students directly involved with the incident will be contacted by the school principal or his/her designee.
   • Parents or community members that have concerns about an individual’s potential threat to others or to themselves should immediately report those concerns to the building principal or other school administrators.
2. The Multi-Hazard Emergency Response Guides in the building-level emergency response plan provide guidance on the BOCES procedures for responding to direct acts of violence (i.e., Crimes Against Persons, Hostage Taking, Intruder and Kidnapping) by students, teachers, other school personnel and visitors to the school, including consideration of zero-tolerance policies for school violence. The following types of procedures are addressed in the plan:
   • Inform the District Superintendent/designee
   • Determine the level of threat with the District Superintendent/designee, the Corporate ERT and the building-level emergency response team.
   • If the situation warrants, isolate the immediate area.
   • Monitor the situation; adjust the level of response as appropriate; if necessary, initiate lockdown, evacuation, sheltering and/or early dismissal procedures as needed, if needed.
   • Contact appropriate law enforcement agency.
     NOTE: The Albany-Schoharie-Schenectady-Saratoga BOCES “Code of Conduct” describes policies and procedures for responding to acts of violence by students, teachers, other school personnel and visitors to the school.
3. Response protocols are identified in the Building-level Emergency Response Plan in the ICS format along with definitions of ICS Roles and Responsibilities. The Multi-Hazard Emergency Response Guides address specific procedures for responding to bomb threat, intruders, hostage takings and kidnapping.
4. The following protocols for appropriate responses to emergencies are provided as examples of responses to bomb threats, hostage takings, intrusions and kidnappings:
   • Identification of decision-makers.
   • Plans to safeguard students and staff.
   • Procedures to provide transportation, if necessary.
   • Procedures to notify parents.
   • Procedures to notify media.
   • Debriefing procedures.
5. The BOCES has established policies and procedures to contact parents, guardians or persons in parental relation to the students in the event of a violent incident or an early dismissal. In the Albany-Schoharie-Schenectady-Saratoga BOCES, the following communication methods are taken:
   • Building level administrators will communicate with home school personnel, parents/guardians or others in parental relation to students in BOCES programs. Determination on timing, method and scope of contact will be the responsibility of building administration.

Section IV: Communication with Others

The BOCES-wide School Safety Plan provides the framework for the Building-level Emergency Response Plan.

1. The Albany-Schoharie-Schenectady-Saratoga BOCES is fortunate to have substantial ties to the communities of Albany, Schenectady and Schoharie County. If there were to be an emergency within our facility, that facility would call 911 for emergency assistance. If involvement is needed from other local government agencies, then the District Superintendent/designee or Corporate ERT would act as that contact person. Additional procedures for communications can be found in the Building-level Emergency Response Plan including local emergency contacts and phone numbers. These contacts provide guidance for obtaining assistance during emergencies from emergency services organizations and local government. The following examples are the types of arrangements that could be used by the BOCES:
   • Deputy Superintendent (IC-Incident Commander or backup IC) in an emergency would contact the county dispatch center for fire, EMS, or police by calling 911.
   • Deputy Superintendent (IC or backup IC) contacts the highest-ranking local government official for notification and/or assistance.
2. Arrangements for obtaining advice and assistance from local government officials including the county or city officials responsible for implementation of Article 2-B of the Executive Law is carried out through the protocols established in the NYS/BOCES Communication Flow Chart. The following are examples of the types of arrangements that could be used by the BOCES during county-wide emergencies:
   • Deputy Superintendent (IC or backup IC) in an emergency contact the Albany/Schenectady/Schoharie County Emergency Management Coordinator and/or the highest-ranking local government official for obtaining advice and assistance.
   • The BOCES has identified resources for an emergency from the following agencies: Town of Colonie Police, American Red Cross, Albany/Schenectady/Schoharie County Emergency Services Office, New York State Police, Albany/Schenectady/Schoharie County Sheriff, and the Capital Region Health/Safety/Risk Management Office.
   • If the emergency is within the BOCES boundaries and has the potential to impact the surrounding community, the Superintendent or designee notifies the appropriate city officials (Example: Mayor, Highway Dept., City Administrator, and/or Public Safety). Likewise, should there be an emergency within the community that has the potential to impact the school, the Superintendent should be notified immediately.
3. If there is a disaster within the BOCES that has the potential to impact other educational agencies within the BOCES boundaries, the Corporate ERT activates a phone tree to inform all necessary parties. The phone tree is located in the Building-level Emergency Response Plan.
4. Along with the phone tree, the BOCES also maintains the following information about each educational agency located in the confidential, Building-level Emergency Response Plan:
   • School population
   • Number of staff
   • Transportation needs
   • Business and home telephone numbers of key officials of each such educational agency

Section V: Prevention and Intervention Strategies

The BOCES-wide School Safety Plan provides the framework for the Building-Level Emergency Response Plan.

1. The BOCES has developed procedures related to school building security, including, where appropriate: visitor sign-in and badge procedures, employee badges, security procedures.
2. The Albany-Schoharie-Schenectady-Saratoga BOCES has implemented procedures for the dissemination of informative materials regarding the early detection of potentially violent behaviors, including, but not limited to: the identification of family, community and environmental factors to teachers, administrators, parents and other persons in parental relation to students of the BOCES or board of education, students and other persons deemed appropriate to receive such information. The BOCES has and continues to participate in programs such as: child abuse and prevention workshops, programs designed to provide staff on how to identify potentially violent behaviors and other risk factors. The BOCES additionally employs school psychologists, social workers, special education staff and school nurses who are instrumental in assisting the BOCES in identifying early warning signs in students, early intervention/prevention strategies and the development of violence prevention instruction for staff.
3. Appropriate prevention and intervention strategies such as:
   • Collaborative agreements with state and local law enforcement officials designed to ensure that school safety officers and other security personnel are adequately trained including being trained to de-escalate potentially violent situations
   • Non-violent conflict resolution training programs
   • Peer mediation programs and youth courts
   • Extended day and other school safety programs
4. The BOCES has created and supported strategies for improving communication among students and between students and staff and reporting of potentially violent incidents, such as the establishment of:
   • Peer mediation;
   • Conflict resolution;
   • Creating a forum or designating a mentor for students concerned with bullying or violence;
   • Others based on district need.
5. The Albany-Schoharie-Schenectady-Saratoga BOCES has adopted BOE Policy # 8130.1 Extreme Risk Protection Orders (“Red Flag Law”). Extreme risk protection orders are court orders that restrict the ability of a person, who is judged likely to engage in conduct that would result in serious physical harm to him/herself or others, to purchase or possess firearms, rifles or shotguns, or attempt to do so. BOE Policy # 8130.1 states that when BOCES staff members have reason to believe, either personally or through information received by others, that a currently-enrolled or recently-enrolled student is likely to engage in conduct that would result in serious physical harm to him/herself or others, they are encouraged to report their concerns to the Building Principal or designee. The Building Principal or designee must immediately notify the District Superintendent. The District Superintendent will contact the school attorney, and both will assist the Building Principal in determining the appropriateness of petitioning the court for an extreme risk protection order.
6. The Albany-Schoharie-Schenectady-Saratoga BOCES has descriptions of duties, hiring and screening process, and requirements for the training of hall monitors and other school safety personnel. The BOCES currently does employ hall monitors. The BOCES has a collaborative agreement with the Colonie Police Department to provide a school resource officer to the BOCES. The BOCES has descriptions of duties, hiring and screening process; and developed policies and procedures related to hall monitors, school building security, including the use of a school resource officer, and security devices and procedures. The agreement and job duties of the SRO can be found in Appendix E.
7. The Albany-Schoharie-Schenectady-Saratoga BOCES has considered, pursuant to Alyssa’s Law, the use of silent panic alarm systems in the school that directly alerts authorities during emergencies and has installed a panic alarm system in school and administrative buildings.
8. The Albany-Schoharie-Schenectady-Saratoga BOCES has adopted and implemented a Workplace Violence Prevention program in alignment with the expansion of Section 27-b of Labor Law to elementary and secondary public education facilities that was signed into law in September 2023. As such, the BOCES has adopted a workplace violence policy statement, conducted a workplace risk evaluation, developed a written plan, training program and incident reporting process.
9. On July 25, 2025, Governor Hochul signed “Desha’s Law,” which mandates that all Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) and school districts adopt comprehensive Cardiac Emergency Response Plans. This legislation amends the Education Law, particularly Section 917, strengthening requirements for Automated External Defibrillator (AED) accessibility and emergency preparedness.

   Desha’s Law establishes strict requirements for Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) already mandated on school premises. AEDs must be clearly marked, accessible, and maintained according to guidelines set by the American Heart Association (AHA) or other nationally recognized standards. Signage indicating where AEDs are located must be posted at the main entrance of every facility.

   All building-level emergency response plans must address sudden cardiac arrest or other life-threatening emergencies. The revised BLERPs must clearly outline the following:

   • Identify the specific individuals who will respond during a cardiac event.
   • Detail step-by-step procedures for managing the incident.
   • Incorporate nationally recognized emergency response protocols and guidelines.
   • Establish procedures for integrating the plan with local emergency medical services (EMS) and first responders.

     In addition, annual training and event-specific planning are required. All employees will receive annual SAVE training, which includes general guidelines for responding to a cardiac event. This training will use information from the American Heart Association, American Red Cross, or the National Safety Council to cover the recognition of the signs and symptoms of cardiac arrest and the appropriate employee response procedures during a cardiac emergency.

     For special or non-routine events (e.g., sporting events, graduation ceremonies), an event-specific Sudden Cardiac Arrest plan must be developed and shared with all participating or attending staff prior to the event’s start.

Section VI: Recovery

Recovery addresses the help needed for all involved to heal and to restore the school community to “normal” operations. The BOCES-wide Plan supports the school building emergency response plan by deploying resources that support the school’s building-level emergency response team and the post-incident response team.

Recovery plans include mental health/emotional recovery, academic, physical and business recovery, and can continue long after the actual emergency. The BOCES has social worker and school psychologist resources and support systems. The BOCES has the ability to coordinate with school, local, Albany/Schenectady/Schoharie County and State disaster mental health services. The BOCES role with mental health services includes looking at the school culture and climate, providing student access to services and following threat assessment procedures.

1. Organizational Support for Building-level Teams
   The Building-level Emergency Response Plan provides resources for supporting the building-level emergency response team and post-incident response team. The BOCES Incident Command System (ICS) identifies back-ups to relieve team members. This provides team members the opportunity to rotate personnel, to fill in if assigned personnel are unavailable and to debrief in a supportive environment.

   The BOCES realizes that some emergencies may overwhelm an individual school’s ability to manage an extreme crisis. If/when the school is faced with an emergency such as threats of violence or actual violent incidents, the BOCES Corporate Emergency Response Team assists as follows:

   • Acting as a sounding board regarding the implied or direct threats and/or violent acts.
   • Assisting in determining the level of threat and appropriate response.
   • Monitoring the situation and adjusting the BOCES response as appropriate.
   • Assisting with parent/guardian, faculty/staff, and media communication.
   • Assisting with coordinating building and grounds security in conjunction with local and State Police.
   • Assisting with offering a backup post-incident response team as needed, if needed.
   • Offering debriefing sessions as needed working in conjunction with local, County and/or State emergency responders.
2. Disaster Mental Health Services
   If/when a building-level emergency response team or post-incident response team is faced with an emergency that may overwhelm the school’s ability to manage an extreme crisis, the BOCES Corporate ERT assists as follows:
   • Activating the Corporate post-incident response team. The BOCES has social workers, school psychologists, and school nurses who have local connections to:
     • Neighboring/Component school districts
     • Albany/Schenectady/Schoharie County Department of Mental Health
   • Offering support and looking for continued feedback from those directly impacted during the incident, with projected plans to assist if needed during heightened stressful times such as a re-occurrence of a similar event and anniversaries of the original event.
   • Assisting with parent/guardian, student, and faculty/staff debriefing and/or post-incident crisis intervention. The debriefing is also used in part to evaluate the BOCES plan for possible revisions. If needed, assisting in contacting additional outside mental health resources such as the National Organization for Victim Assistance (1-800-try-nova; www.try-nova.org ).
   • Assisting the schools with written statements going out to faculty/staff, parents/guardians, press releases and media requests through the BOCES Public Information Officer.

The BOCES supports the recovery phase and reevaluates current multi-hazard and violence prevention practices and school safety activities.

Section VII: Declared State of Emergency Involving a Communicable Disease

On September 7, 2020, Governor Cuomo signed into law Chapter 168 of the Laws of 2020 that requires public employers, including public school districts, to adopt a continuation of operations plan in the event that the Governor declares a state disaster emergency involving a communicable disease. The legislation (amended subdivision 2 of section 2801-a of New York Education Law to require that District Safety Plans include protocols for responding to a declared state disaster emergency involving a communicable disease that are “substantially consistent” with the provisions of section 27-c of the Labor Law. The operations plan includes, but is not limited to:

1. A list and description of the types of positions considered essential in the event of a State-ordered reduction of in-person workforce. For this purpose, essential is defined as required to be physically present at a work site to perform his or her job. Such designation may be changed at any time at the sole discretion of the employer.
2. A description of protocols the employer will follow in order for nonessential employees to telecommute.
3. A description of how the employer will, to the extent possible, stagger work shifts of essential employees to reduce overcrowding on public transportation and at worksites.
4. Protocols the employer will implement to procure personal protective equipment (PPE) A plan for storage of equipment and access to equipment must be included.
5. Protocols in the event an employee is exposed to a known case of the disease, exhibits symptoms of the disease, or tests positive for the disease to prevent the spread or contraction in the workplace.
6. Protocols for documenting hours and work locations, including off-site visits, for essential employees. The protocol shall be designed only to aid in tracking of the disease and to identify exposed employees and contractors to facilitate the provision of any benefits which may be available.
7. Protocols for working with the employer’s locality to identify sites for emergency housing for essential employees to further contain the spread of the communicable disease to the extent applicable to the needs of the workplace.
8. Protocols for implementing any other requirements determined by the Department of Health such as contact tracing or testing, social distancing, hand hygiene and disinfectant, or mask wearing.

   The Communicable Disease – Pandemic Continuity of Operations Plan can be found in Appendix C.

Section VIII: Emergency Remote Instruction

Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, all public schools, boards of cooperative educational services (BOCES), and county vocational education and extension boards must include plans for remote instruction. The emergency remote instruction plan describes how children will be educated if a school or schools must close under emergency conditions. The Albany-Schoharie-Schenectady-Saratoga BOCE Emergency Remote Instruction Plan will outline methods that will ensure the availability of devices, internet access, provision of special education and related services for students with disabilities, and the expectations for time spent in different remote modalities. The remote instruction plan will be reviewed annually by district and building-level emergency response teams, adopted annually by the Board of Education and submitted to the New York State Education Department.

The Emergency Remote Instruction Plan can be found in Appendix D.

APPENDIX A: The following is a listing of all school buildings covered by the BOCES-wide school safety plan:

Airline Drive Academy
10C Airline Drive
Albany, NY 12205
Principal: Barbara Lounello
Phone: 518-464-6303

Albany Career & Technical School
925B Watervliet-Shaker Road
Albany, NY 12205

Extension Center
886 Watervliet-Shaker Road
Albany, NY 12205
Principal: Joseph Slichko
Phone: 518-862-4802

Central Administration/NERIC
900 Watervliet-Shaker Road
Albany, NY 12205
IC: Elizabeth Wood
Phone: 518-862-4954

Maywood Academy
925A Watervliet-Shaker Road
Albany, NY 12205
Principal: Gabriele Barbato
Phone: 518-464-6363

NERIC – Plattsburgh
1523 Military Turnpike, Suite 100
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
IC: Roxanne Pombrio
Phone: 518-862-5436

Schoharie Career & Technical School
174 Route 30A
Schoharie, NY 12157
Principal: Matthew Ward
Phone: 518-295-3000

APPENDIX B: Identification of Potential Hazardous Sites

• COMMUNITY BASED LIST: A list of areas have been identified as having the potential to impact the BOCES. This list was created for reference and awareness. It is not all-inclusive for every emergency. However, these areas have been identified as having the most probable impact on BOCES facilities or boundaries should they have or create an emergency. A list of potential community-based hazards or emergency situations has been noted in the building-level emergency response plan.
• SCHOOL BASED LIST: The BOCES Health & Safety Committee has recognized that there are many factors that could cause an emergency within our school buildings. There are also factors that need to be considered when responding to an emergency. A list of potential internal and external hazards or emergency situations has been noted in the building-level emergency response plan. 

APPENDIX C: Communicable Disease – Pandemic Continuity of Operations Plan

This Continuity of Operations Plan has been developed to meet the requirements of subsection (2)(m) of Education Law §2801-a, which requires public employers to prepare a plan for the continuation of operations in the event that the governor declares a public health emergency involving a communicable disease.

This plan is built upon the components of the BOCES-Wide School Safety Plan and the Building-Level Emergency Response plan(s). This will be updated regularly to reflect current guidance and best practices.

The District-Wide School Safety Team assumes responsibility for development and compliance with all provisions of this plan and implementation at the building level through the Building-Level Emergency Response Team.

Capital Region BOCES will work closely with the Albany, Schoharie, Schenectady, Saratoga and Clinton County Department(s) of Health to determine the need for activation of this plan. Capital Region BOCES will report suspected and confirmed cases of communicable diseases (e.g., influenza, coronavirus, etc.) on the monthly Communicable Disease Report, (DMS-485.7/93; HE-112.4/81) and submit it to the local health department. Depending on the severity of the disease, the district may be required to report information more frequently and in another format, (i.e., daily for COVID-19). The local health department will monitor county-wide communicable disease cases and inform school districts as to appropriate actions.

BOCES-Wide School Safety Team

When this plan is activated, the BOCES-Wide School Safety Team may invite additional people to the meetings to aid in the planning efforts:

• Senior Executive Officer
• District Medical Director
• School nurse(s)
• Chief Technology Officer
• Deputy District Superintendent – Curriculum and Instruction (or designee)
• Human Resources Director
• Director Business Operations
• Facilities Director
• Food Service Director
• Director of Communications and Public Relations

Communication

Communication with parents, students, staff, and the school community is important throughout a pandemic outbreak. Communication methods will include postings to the BOCES website, general mailings, email, social media, school communication apps and the public media. The Director of Communications & Public Relations has been designated to coordinate this effort. Communications will work closely with the Chief Technology Officer to ensure proper function of all communication systems.

Essential Positions/Titles

Capital Region BOCES has developed this plan to prepare for any future government ordered shutdowns that may occur, similar to the coronavirus shutdown in the spring of 2020. Attachment 1 includes a list of essential positions that would be required to be on-site or in district to continue to function as opposed to those positions that could work remotely. The list includes:

• Title – a list of positions/titles considered essential (i.e., could not work remotely) in the event of a state-ordered reduction of in-person workforce.
• Description – brief description of job function.
• Justification – brief description of critical responsibilities that could not be provided remotely.
• Work Shift – brief description of how work shifts of essential employees and/or contractors will be staggered in order to reduce overcrowding in the district.
• Protocol – how precise hours and work locations, including off-site visits, will be documented for essential employees and contractors.

Working/Learning Remotely

Capital Region BOCES will assess technology needs of all non-essential employees and contractors in order to enable telecommuting.

• Options for assessing CRB technology needs includes but is not limited to a survey to ascertain:
• Who will need devices and/or peripherals at home;
• What software if any will need to be added to these devices;
• The availability of viable existing at-home Internet service;
• Other items as related

Reducing Risk

Depending on the exact nature of the communicable disease and its impact, the CRB is prepared to use strategies to reduce traffic congestion and maintain social distancing. Examples include:

• Limiting building occupancy to 25%, 50% or 75% of capacity or the maximum allowable by state or local guidance.
• Remote working as applicable.
• Restrict occupancy in common areas.
• Forming employee work shift cohorts to limit potential contacts.
• Limit employee travel within the building and/or between buildings.
• Limit restroom usage to specific work areas.
• Stagger arrival and dismissal times.
• Alternate work-days or work weeks.
• Limit or eliminate visitors to the building. Capital Region BOCES may need to include additional strategies based on updated federal, state and local guidance.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Face Coverings

Capital Region BOCES will procure as necessary and available at least a six-month supply of face coverings and PPE required for essential work tasks. PPE Type/Division and Role:

• N-95 Respirators — Nurses/Nurses’ Aides, Cleaners/Custodians (based on disinfectants used)
• Face Shields — Nurses/Nurses’ Aides, Special Education staff, as applicable.
• Gowns — Nurses/Nurses’ Aides, Special Education staff, as applicable.
• Gloves — Nurses/Nurses’ Aides, Special Education, as applicable, Cleaners/Custodians, Maintenance/Mechanics.
• Cloth Face Coverings* — All faculty, staff and students.

* Cloth face coverings are not considered personal protective equipment, however, cloth face coverings are important as a source control for COVID-19 and provides some protection to the wearer. As such, OSHA strongly encourages workers to wear face coverings.

Those individuals that are required to wear N-95 respirators will be fit-tested, trained, and medically screened prior to use to ensure they are physically able to do so. The use of cloth face coverings to reduce the spread of communicable diseases is important to the health and safety of faculty, staff and students. Cloth face coverings are meant to protect other people in case the wearer is unknowingly infected (asymptomatic) and are essential when physical distancing is difficult. Information will be provided to faculty, staff and students on proper use, removal and cleaning of cloth face coverings. All faculty, staff and students will be encouraged to utilize their own personal face coverings but CRB will secure and provide face coverings as needed. PPE and face coverings will be stored in a manner which will prevent degradation. These supplies will be monitored to ensure integrity and track usage rates.

Continuity of Operations

Continuity of operations could be severely impacted by a loss of staff. The table below describes the procedures for maintaining essential functions and services by planning for backup personnel.

Role/Topic and Tasks

Overall Operations — Have decision-making authority for the organization. Create policies and procedures to reflect crisis response.

Person/People Responsible for Identifying Back-Up Personnel:

• District Superintendent
• Senior Executive Officer
• Deputy District Supt. & Chief Operating Officer
• Deputy District Supt. – Curriculum & Instruction
• Assistant Superintendent – NERIC
• School Attorney

Business Office — Maintain overall business office function. Monitor utilization of supplies, equipment, contracts and provided services and adjust as necessary. Person Responsible for Identifying Back-Up Personnel:

• Director of Business Operations

Facilities — Keep administration informed of staffing issues and of the point at which buildings can no longer be maintained; Provide building administrators with procedures for maintaining essential building functions (e.g., HVAC system operation, alarms, security, etc.) along with a list of telephone numbers of outside companies and alternates for repair and maintenance of these systems; Meet with staff and monitor their ability to maintain essential function Person Responsible for Identifying Back-Up Personnel:

• Director of Facilities

Human Resources — Monitor staffing and ensure appropriate delegation of authority; Plan for emergency use of personnel in non-traditional functions and changes in the normal work-day such as alternate or reduced work hours, working from home, etc. Person Responsible for Identifying Back-Up Personnel:

• Director of Human Resources

Continuity of Instruction — Will be implemented in the event of significant absences or school closure. Alternate learning strategies will include:

• Hard copy, self-directed lessons.
• Use of mobile media storage devices for lessons.
• Online instruction; web based resources; online textbooks.
• Communication modalities for assignment postings and follow-up: LMS, telephone; postal service; cell phone, cell phone mail, text messages; e-mail; automated notification systems; website postings.

People Responsible for Identifying Back-Up Personnel:

• Deputy District Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction
• Director of Special Education
• Coordinator of Special Education
• Director of Educational Support Services
• Director of Career and Technical Education
• School/Program Principals

Capital Region BOCES Technology Support — IT team assigned to handle all tech requests throughout the organization.

People Responsible for Identifying Back-Up Personnel:

• Chief Technology Officer

Response

The BOCES-Wide School Safety Team will meet to determine the need for activation of a pandemic response based on internal monitoring and correspondence with the local health department and other experts.

• The Incident Command Structure at both the District and Building level will be informed that the response effort has been enacted. These individuals will meet to discuss the plan’s activation and review responsibilities and communication procedures.
• Communications will work closely with Chief Technology Officer/CRB Tech Team to test all communication systems to ensure proper function. The BOCES-Wide School Safety Team and Building-Level Emergency Response Teams will assist in this effort.
• An alert will be sent to the BOCES/school community upon activation of this plan. The communication will be based on the latest information from federal, state and local health authorities.
• If the decision is made to close a school building, the BOCES will notify the NYS Education Department.

Capital Region BOCES will assign a Communicable Disease Safety Coordinator for the organization, whose responsibilities include continuous compliance with all aspects of the BOCES reopening plan and any phased-in reopening activities necessary to allow for operational issues to be resolved before activities return to normal. The Coordinator shall be the main contact upon the identification of positive communicable disease cases and is responsible for subsequent communication. The Coordinator or his/her designee shall be responsible for answering questions from students, faculty, staff, and parents or legal guardians of students regarding the public health emergency and plans implemented by the BOCES.

Hand Hygiene

Faculty, staff, and students will be trained on proper hand hygiene. Information will be provided to parents and/or legal guardians on ways to reinforce hand hygiene at home.

• For hand washing: soap, running water and disposable paper towels.
• For hand sanitizing: an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol for areas where hand washing facilities may not be available or practical.
• Accommodations for students who cannot use hand sanitizer will be made. 

Communicable Disease Exposures

Capital Region BOCES must be prepared for communicable disease outbreaks in their local communities and for individual exposure events to occur in their facilities, regardless of the level of community transmission. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) have provided recommendations for strategies to follow after an exposure:

• Close off areas used by a sick person and not using these areas until after cleaning and disinfection has occurred;
• Open outside doors and windows to increase air circulation in the area.
• Wait at least 24 hours before cleaning and disinfection. If waiting 24 hours is not feasible, wait as long as possible.
• Clean and disinfect all areas used by the person suspected or confirmed to have a communicable disease, such as offices, classrooms, bathrooms, lockers and common areas.
• Once the area has been appropriately cleaned and disinfected it can be reopened for use.
• Individuals without close or proximate contact with the person suspected or confirmed to have a communicable disease can return to the area and resume school activities immediately after cleaning and disinfection.
• If more than seven days have passed since the person who is suspected or confirmed to have a communicable disease visited or used the facility, additional cleaning or disinfection is not necessary, but routine cleaning and disinfection should continue.

Contact Tracing

Capital Region BOCES will notify the state and local health department immediately upon being informed of any positive communicable disease diagnostic test result by an individual within BOCES facilities or on school grounds, including students, faculty, staff and visitors of the district. BOCES may assist with contact tracing by:

• Keeping accurate attendance records of students and staff members.
• Ensuring student schedules are up to date.
• Keeping a log of any visitor that includes date and time, and where in the school they visited.
• Assisting the local health departments in tracing all contacts of the individual in accordance with the protocol, training and tools provided through the NYS Contact Tracing Program.

Capital Region BOCES, in consultation with the local health department, will determine what process will be followed when communicable disease cases are discovered in the school (e.g., how many individuals will be quarantined, closing of areas or classrooms, etc.). Confidentiality must be maintained as required by federal and state laws and regulations. School staff should not try to determine who is to be excluded from school based on contact without guidance and direction from the local health department.

Returning After Illness

Capital Region BOCES has established protocols and procedures, in consultation with the local health department(s), about the requirements for determining when individuals, particularly students, who screened positive for communicable disease symptoms can return to the in-person learning environment at school. This protocol includes:

• Documentation from a health care provider following evaluation.
• Negative COVID-19 diagnostic test result.
• Symptom resolution, or if positive for a communicable disease, release from isolation.

Capital Region BOCES will refer to NYSDOH and other applicable guidance regarding protocols and policies for faculty, staff, and students seeking to return to work after a suspected or confirmed communicable disease case or after the faculty or staff member had close or proximate contact with a person with a communicable disease.

Capital Region BOCES requires that individuals who were exposed to a communicable disease complete quarantine and have no symptoms before returning to in-person learning. The discharge of an individual from quarantine and return to school will be conducted in coordination with the local health department.

Cleaning/Disinfecting

Capital Region BOCES will ensure adherence to hygiene and cleaning and disinfection requirements as advised by the CDC and NYSDOH, including “Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfection – Public Spaces, Workplaces, Businesses, Schools and Homes” and other guidance, as applicable. Attachment 2 describes cleaning and disinfection protocols and procedures for the BOCES. Regular cleaning and disinfection of the facilities will occur, including more frequent cleaning and disinfection for high-risk and frequently touched surfaces. Cleaning and disinfection will be rigorous and ongoing and will occur at least daily, or more frequently as needed. Capital Region BOCES will ensure regular cleaning and disinfection of restrooms. Restrooms will be cleaned and disinfected more often depending on frequency of use. Capital Region BOCES has determined employee procedures for available leave in the event of the need of an employee to receive testing, treatment, isolation or quarantine. These procedures are consistent with existing federal, state, or local law, including regarding sick leave or health information privacy.

Housing for Essential Employees

Emergency housing for essential workers is not considered to be required for school faculty and staff. The need for emergency housing will be determined with direction from the local department of health.

Recovery

Re-establishing the normal school curriculum is essential to the recovery process and should occur as soon as possible.

• Work toward a smooth transition from the existing learning methods to the normal process.
• Use the described communication methods to keep the school community aware of the transition process.
• Work closely with the New York State Education Department to revise or amend the school calendar as deemed appropriate.
• Evaluate all building operations for normal function and re-implement appropriate maintenance and cleaning procedures.

Each Building-Level Post-incident Response Team will assess the emotional impact of the crisis on students and staff and make recommendations for appropriate intervention. The BOCES-Wide School Safety Team and Building-Level Emergency Response Teams will meet to de-brief and determine lessons learned with input from all essential functions. The BOCES-Wide School Safety Plan and Building-Level Emergency Response Plans will be updated accordingly. Curriculum activities that may address the crisis will be developed and implemented.

Attachment 1 – List of Essential Employees 

• District Superintendent – Administrative Operations. Oversees the organization wide development of plans, employment, policies and procedures for emergency planning, mitigation and recovery. Justification: The Superintendent, Senior Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy District Superintendents oversee emergency planning, daily operations and community/district communication.
• Senior Executive Officer – Administrative Operations. Oversees the organization wide development of plans, employment, policies and procedures for emergency planning, mitigation and recovery. Justification: The Superintendent, Senior Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy District Superintendent oversee emergency planning, daily operations and community/district communication.
• Deputy Superintendent – Administrative Operations. Oversees the organization wide development of plans, employment, policies and procedures for emergency planning, mitigation and recovery. Justification: The Superintendent, Senior Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy District Superintendent oversee emergency planning, daily operations and community/district communication.
• All Directors, Deputy Directors and Assistant Directors. Oversees the Division level development of plans and procedures for emergency planning, mitigation and recovery. Justification: Required to operationalize response at the division level.
• Principals. Oversee the building level development of plans and procedures for emergency planning, mitigation and recovery. Justification: Required to operationalize response at the division level.
• All Central Administration Business Office Staff. Oversees organization wide fiscal continuity, emergency planning, mitigation and recovery. Justification: Required for business continuity and to operationalize response at the organization-wide level.
• All Central Administration Human Resources Staff. Oversees organization wide staffing and benefits continuity, emergency planning, mitigation and recovery. Justification: Required for business continuity and to operationalize response at the organization-wide level.
• All Facilities Services & Operations and Maintenance Staff. Provides daily cleaning, maintenance and repairs. Justification: The director oversees facilities staff, establishes task priorities and coordinates the supplies; staff members perform maintenance duties within the building, including repairs.
• All Food Service Staff. Provides breakfast and lunch to students who participate in all models of learning (in person, remote, and hybrid). Justification: The food service director establishes the food menu, organizes staff and coordinates food distribution; food service staff prepare meals on-site and assist with food distribution.
• Central Administration Communications Staff. Oversees all internal and external communications. Justification: Required for business continuity and to operationalize response at the organization-wide level.
• Technology Staff. Supports the network hardware and provides technical assistance for remote students and staff. Justification: The supervisor establishes all priorities for IT tasks and organizes staff; IT staff members provide support in setting up hardware and software, network management and help desk support.

Attachment 2 – Cleaning and Disinfection Protocols and Procedures

Details in this attachment include: Room Types/Areas, Cleaning Frequency, Disinfection Frequency, Responsible Party and Additional Information.

• Classrooms — cleaning 2x daily, disinfecting 2x daily by custodial staff. Responsible party and additional Information: staff and teachers, doors, desks, chairs and floors.
• Restrooms — cleaning 3-4x daily, disinfecting 3-4x daily by custodial staff. Additional Information: Doors and sinks will be done twice daily. Floors will be done once daily.
• Health Offices/Isolation Rooms — cleaning after each use, disinfecting after each use. Responsible party and additional Information: Nursing staff; Custodial staff. Cots, bathrooms and health office equipment will be cleaned after each use. Floors will be done once daily.
• Break Rooms — cleaning 2x daily, disinfecting 2x daily. Responsible party and additional Information: Custodial staff. Doors, tables, chairs and floors.
• Cafeterias/Kitchens — cleaning 2x daily, disinfecting 2x daily. Responsible party and additional Information: Custodial staff; staff and teachers Tables and chairs will be cleaned/disinfected in between each group’s use. Floors will be done once daily.
• Computer Labs — cleaning 2x daily, disinfecting 2x daily. Responsible party and additional Information: Custodial staff; staff and teachers Equipment to be cleaned/disinfected between each use. Doors, tables, chairs and floors will be done once daily.
• Playgrounds — cleaning as needed, disinfecting as needed. Responsible party and additional Information: Custodial staff, playgrounds not used frequently.
• School Vehicles — cleaning after each use, disinfecting after each use. Responsible party and additional Information: Staff using vehicles.
• Administrative Offices — cleaning daily, disinfecting daily. Responsible party and additional Information: Custodial staff. Doors, desks, chairs, and floors.
• Large Meeting Areas (e.g., gymnasiums, auditoriums, music rooms) — cleaning N/A, disinfecting N/A, responsible party N/A. Additional Information: These areas are not going to be used. When these areas will be returned to use, then an appropriate frequency for cleaning/disinfection will be established.
• Frequently touched surfaces (e.g., doorknobs, light switches, elevator buttons, copy machine buttons, handles, etc.) — cleaning 3-4x daily, disinfecting 3-4x daily by custodial staff.
• Shared frequently touched surfaces (e.g., keyboards, desks, phones, laptops, tablets, remote controls, etc.) — cleaning after each use, disinfecting after each use by staff using shared surfaces.
• Shared equipment (e.g., hand tools, facilities equipment, groundskeeping equipment, golf cart, etc.) — cleaning after each use, disinfecting after each use by staff using equipment

APPENDIX D: Emergency Remote Instruction Plan

Emergency Remote Instruction Plan

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, school districts in New York are required to have a plan for how children will be educated if a school or schools must close under emergency conditions. These Emergency Remote Instruction Plans (ERI Plans) are included as part of the district-wide school safety plan, which is reviewed annually by district and building-level emergency response teams, adopted annually by the Board of Education and submitted to the New York State Education Department.

Communication and Engagement

To help inform our Emergency Remote Instruction Plan, the district completes an annual Student Digital Resources data collection report to better understand the level of access students have to devices (e.g., laptop, Chromebook, cell phone) and the Internet. The survey is sent to new families as they enter the program. Annually, the survey is sent via our mass communication system in the fall to all families with follow up phone calls and a second mass communication release.

The purpose of this survey is to ensure that, to the extent possible, students can access the Internet and receive remote instruction, if necessary, under emergency conditions. This survey is conducted on an annual basis. Students and families may update their access information at any time by contacting the student’s school. It is our goal that this plan is aligned with the information provided by families in the Student Digital Resources data collection.

The district has also developed a plan for communicating all necessary information should a school or schools need to close. The district will use existing internal and external communications channels to notify staff, students, and families/caregivers about remote learning schedules with as much advance notice as possible. This communication will include information about how computing devices (e.g., computers, hot spots, etc.) are being disseminated to students and families who need them. Initial communication will be sent via mass communication system if it impacts all classrooms. If it is only a singular or small number of classrooms the principal contacts families. Follow communication by the principal and teacher will be through the means established in each building ex. Google classroom, Parent Square, email, phone calls, etc.

The district will provide students and their families with multiple ways to contact schools and teachers during remote learning, including Google classroom, Parent Square, email, phone calls, student management system, etc.

Device, Internet and Platform Access

To support remote learning, the district will make computer devices available to all students and families who need them. In classrooms where students have their own device, it will go home with them or be delivered. In classrooms where students do not have a personal device, the district will work with the home district to ensure that a device is delivered to each student.

To the extent possible, the district will also support students and families with accessing the Internet at home. Where that is not possible, the district will work with community partners to secure Wi-Fi access points for students and families so that they may participate in remote learning. The district, based on survey results and parent/ guardian communication, will deliver hot-spots to families that are in need of Wi-Fi access.

There will be those students in our community for whom remote learning through digital technology is not appropriate or possible. For these students, the district will assess each student’s individual needs and whether in-person learning is an option. Other methods that will be considered include instruction by phone and/or the delivery of hard-copy materials to the student’s home. In cases when a student, due to their documented needs, is unable to access instruction through digital technology, teachers will work directly with guardians to determine the best way to deliver instruction, whether it be through packets and phone calls, teletherapy, individual/small group video conferencing, or in person at a mutually agreed upon public space if no other option is available.

The district will also take steps to ensure that school staff members have the necessary tools, i.e., computing devices and Internet access, to deliver emergency remote instruction from their place of residence. The district provides all teachers and related service providers devices and provides hot-spots as needed. To ensure high-quality remote learning experiences, the district has standardized the use of a single online learning platform, Google Classroom, to the extent possible, and developed a common, coordinated set of guidelines for teachers to follow when using the platform with students. Along with a cover sheet of expectations, instructional how-to videos are available as needed.

Teaching and Learning

Our district has developed an emergency remote instruction plan that would support all students. When a remote learning model is necessary, certain groups of students will be prioritized for in-person learning to the greatest extent possible, depending on the nature of the emergency. This includes, but is not limited to, special education students, English language learners, and students with technology or connectivity needs.

Acknowledging that the typical content in each grade level or course may need to be adjusted, content will be prioritized to ensure that students receive instruction for the prioritized learning standards, key understandings, and skills necessary for students’ success in future study.

Instruction will focus on “core” subject areas; however, elective courses will continue to be offered in a remote learning environment. All instruction will continue to be aligned to the New York State Learning Standards.

Virtual learning schedules have been developed by grade level. If an emergency requires the district to move to virtual learning, these schedules will be shared with students and families in accordance with the communication strategies outlined earlier in this plan. Students will be given opportunities to engage with teachers and classmates through live instruction, question and answer periods with teachers and group work (i.e., synchronous learning). Teachers will ensure that their students are directly engaged with them and their class peers in experiential learning on a regular basis. Supplementing this time will be self-guided projects, readings and other age-appropriate assignments that can be completed by the students remotely (i.e., asynchronous learning).

Based on the learning model we have developed, the linked document details learning expectations for our special education classrooms. Follow is an example schedule:

Sample Schedule for Special EducationDocu:

Subject	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
ELA	40 minutes	40 minutes	40 minutes	40 minutes	40 minutes
Math	40 minutes	40 minutes	40 minutes	40 minutes	40 minutes
Science	20 minutes		20 minutes		20 minutes
Social Studies		30 minutes		30 minutes
Individual/Small Group Meetings – Virtual Session	Small groups or individual student live meetings daily and should be 15 – 30 minutes in length: scheduled with families	Small groups or individual student live meetings daily and should be 15 – 30 minutes in length: scheduled with families	Small groups or individual student live meetings daily and should be 15 – 30 minutes in length: scheduled with families	Small groups or individual student live meetings daily and should be 15 – 30 minutes in length: scheduled with families	Small groups or individual student live meetings daily and should be 15 – 30 minutes in length: scheduled with families
Other small group IEP Goal Work and progress monitoring	Small groups or individual student live meetings daily and should be 15 – 30 minutes, scheduled with families	Small groups or individual student live meetings daily and should be 15 – 30 minutes, scheduled with families	Small groups or individual student live meetings daily and should be 15 – 30 minutes, scheduled with families	Small groups or individual student live meetings daily and should be 15 – 30 minutes, scheduled with families	Small groups or individual student live meetings daily and should be 15 – 30 minutes, scheduled with families
Office Hours	Scheduled, Daily and Mandatory	Scheduled, Daily and Mandatory	Scheduled, Daily and Mandatory	Scheduled, Daily and Mandatory	Scheduled, Daily and Mandatory
Delivery of Materials as Needed	For students that do not have access to wifi, materials will be delivered and if possible, alternate locations for instruction will be identified	For students that do not have access to wifi, materials will be delivered and if possible, alternate locations for instruction will be identified	For students that do not have access to wifi, materials will be delivered and if possible, alternate locations for instruction will be identified	For students that do not have access to wifi, materials will be delivered and if possible, alternate locations for instruction will be identified	For students that do not have access to wifi, materials will be delivered and if possible, alternate locations for instruction will be identified

CTE classroom will function during their traditional times with the following schedule as an example of the delivery model:

Career and Technical Education	Time	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri
Synchronous Direct Instruction	30 minutes	Auto 1	Auto 1	Academic Integration	Auto 1	Auto 1
Additional Synchronous Instruction may include: Group and Individual work:-break out rooms, project work, simulations, teacher office hours, videos of other extension of instruction etc.	90 minutes	Auto 1	Auto 1	Academic Integration	Auto 1	Auto 1
Asynchronous	30 minutes	Auto 1	Auto 1	Academic Integration	Auto 1	Auto 1

*Examples of synchronous instruction: live video classes, virtual labs and simulations; virtual guest speakers; virtual field trips; breakout sessions for small group project-based learning; job coaching; virtual internships or job shadowing

**Examples of group and individual work: interactive videos; online discussion board; pre-recorded lessons; online readings; simulations; break out room activities; real world cases studies related to work based learning experiences; online industry certification credentialing (i.e. OSHA 10); portfolio development

The district recognizes that there will be students for whom remote instruction via digital technology is not appropriate. In an emergency, as the district is assessing which students need devices or access to the Internet, the district will also assess which students may require additional support. Depending on the nature of the emergency, this may involve some level of in-person instruction for these students either at a school building within the district or at a community location, as appropriate. These decisions will be made in partnership with local health officials and emergency personnel, as applicable. Other instructional methods that will be considered include instruction by phone and/or the delivery of hard-copy materials to the student’s home.

See details within the Device, Internet and Platform Access information above. 

Teachers will be trained on best practices for synchronous, blended and asynchronous instruction. Focus will be on engagement, delivery of content, assessment, feedback and any other identified need areas.

Support Services

Based on the learning model we have developed, students with disabilities and/or an Individualized Education Plan will continue to receive support services in accordance with their individualized education plans (IEP) should remote learning become necessary. It is the expectation that all service providers (e.g., teachers, paraprofessionals, related service providers) will sign-on to the remote learning platform to support students as needed. This will include large classroom settings in the remote learning environment, as well as the use of breakout rooms or one-on-one virtual meetings as necessary.

RS Providers Remote Guidance for Therapy:

• Regular school frequencies will be delivered via live videoconference, with fidelity to the IEP, with specific identified frequencies for TEACCH students
• Social Workers, in coordination with the teacher, will work to maintain biweekly phone contact with families in support of social/emotional support and home learning initiatives and to identify the need for any other supports

The district will follow its existing engagement and communication protocols with parents regarding the provision of special education services for their child.

• Attendance must be taken daily. Present will be recorded for engagement in assignments, live, or recorded sessions.
• Documentation needs to be kept: Create a google doc for documentation of parent contact
• Related Services: We will stay the course with remote therapy guidelines that have been developed and are linked above. Documentation will continue in IEP direct related service logs: Medicaid is applicable.
• Please remember that we must implement IEPs as written with a combination of synchronous and asynchronous instruction.
• If there are individualized variations from the schedule above, the rationale needs to be documented. We need to assure that what we are providing adheres to the IEP and is reasonable, appropriate, and considers the individual and family and FAPE in the remote setting

APPENDIX E: School Resource Officer (SRO) Memorandum of Understanding
TOWN OF COLONIE CONTRACT

Police Department
SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER AGREEMENT
BOCES 2023-24

THIS AGREEMENT made and entered into this30 ay of October, 2023 by and between the Town of Colonie, a municipal corporation of the State of New York, having its principal office located at Memorial Town Hall, 534 New Loudon Road, Latham, New York 12110 (hereinafter referred to as the “Town”), and Capital Region BOCES, having its principal office located at 900 Watervliet Shaker Road Colonie New York 12205 (hereinafter referred to as the “School”).

WHEREAS, the School and the Town wish to enter into a cooperative Agreement to provide and share the cost of providing a police officer as a School Resource Officer (“SRO”) at various BOCES campus locations within the Town; and

WHEREAS, this agreement shall be applicable to the 2023-2024 school year and be effective from September 1, 2023 through August 31, 2024; and

WHEREAS, this Agreement was approved by the Town Board of the Town of Colonie pursuant to Resolution No. 433 on September 14, 2023.

IT IS, THEREFORE agreed as follows:

1. The Town shall make a Town of Colonie police officer available to function as an SRO as needed at the following BOCES campus locations:
   1. Maywood Academy – 925A Watervliet Shaker Road
   2. Career and Technical Education 925B Watervliet Shaker Road
   3. Airline Academy – 10C Airline Drive
2. The duties of the SRO may include, but not be limited to the following:
   1. Provide education and counseling to students on law enforcement matters;
   2. Act as a Community Liaison between the Town of Colonie Police Department and the School;
   3. When an SRO is available, patrol the designated school locations and provide a police presence at school sponsored activities, such as field trips, sporting events and social events;
   4. Investigate law enforcement and public safety issues while at the designated school locations.
   5. Provide for the security and safety of all students, staff, and visitors;
   6. Provide intervention between students and/or staff, using techniques consistent with police department training procedures to control and deescalate situations;
   7. Advise the Capital Region BOCES administration of any circumstances or situations that may create a potential for hann to person, or damage to of loss of property;
   8. Maintain visibility as much as possible;
   9. When requested, and if available, the SRO may participate in meetings with school officials, parents, or the CR BOCES Board of Education to assist in dispute resolution and/or in developing policy and procedures concerning school safety.
   10. The SRO will not be responsible for, nor have the authority to issue, student discipline. The authority to issue student discipline shall solely be within the discretion of School administration.
3. The School shall provide the SRO with any and all resources that the SRO is required to possess on the school campuses in order to conduct confidential investigations, interviews and prepare reports regarding matters reported to the SRO by the School or occurring on School property, as well as to conduct any other activity necessary to perform his or her duties as an SRO.
4. The parties have agreed that the School will reimburse the Town at an annual rate of eightyfive percent (85%) of a Step 6 salary, in the amount of Seventy-Nine Thousand Two Hundred Thirty-Three Dollars ($79,233.00) for the 2023-24 school year. It is the intention of the School to reimburse the· Town for this portion of the cost of the salary and benefits attributed to the employment of the SRO. The School shall pay the Town the total amount of the Reimbursement at the conclusion of the school year. The Town will provide the School with an invoice at the end of each school year, which must be paid in full within thirty (30) days of receipt.
5. The SRO shall remain a Town employee at all times.
6. The SRO will be under the direction, jurisdiction and control of the Town. The School understands that the Town has a duty to the general public and must constantly assess how best to allocate its police officers. Therefore, even if the Town does assign an SRO to the designated areas of the School, the Town retains the right to remove and reassign the SRO if it is warranted, in the sole discretion of the Town. The School agrees it shall have no recourse, pursuant to this contract or otherwise, against the Town if such reassignment were to occur. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if such reassignment were to occur, the Town recognizes that the School will be entitled to a proportional reduction of Reimbursement.
7. The term of this agreement shall be for the 2023 – 2024 school year. Thereafter, this agreement may be renewed for additional one-year terms.
8.  This agreement may be tenninated by either party upon sixty (60) days’ written notice to the other party. The expenses of the SRO shall be pro-rated accordingly if this agreement is terminated prior to the end of the school year.
9. The School District shall promptly notify the Town of any act or occurrence involving losses, damages, expenses or demands, indemnified against in this Agreement. All such notices must be in writing and must be sent to the Town at the address below.
   • To the Town:
     Michael Woods
     Police Chief
     312 Wolf Road
     Latham; New York 12110
     cc: Town Attorney
   • To the School District:
     Karen Swain
     Assistant District Superintendent
     900 Watervliet Shaker Road
     Colonie, NY 12205

     Any and all notice required pursuant to the tenns of this Agreement shall be mailed to the addresses listed. Each notice is deemed to have been properly served if personally delivered or deposited into the United States Mail, with proper postage.

10. In executing this Agreement, the Town does not assume liability or responsibility for or in any way release the School from any liability or responsibility which arises in whole or in part from the existence or effect of School policies, procedures, rules or regulations. If any cause, claim suit, action or administrative proceeding is commenced in which the enforceability and/or validity of any such School policy, procedure, rule or regulation is principally at issue, the School shall defend the same at its sole expense and if judgment is entered or damages are awarded against the School, the Town or both, the School shall satisfy the same including all chargeable costs and attorney’s fees.
11. The Town agrees to indemnify, save, and hold harmless the School, and the School agrees to indemnify the Town, and their respective agents, officers, servants, employees and subcontractors from any claims, demands, causes of action, and/or negligence, willful misconduct, or any act or failure to act on the part of the other Party or their agents, servants, employees or subcontractors in connection with the performance of this Agreement, and to defend at their own cost, such action or proceeding
12. The Town and School agree that all information exchanged is considered confidential and subject to provisions of Federal and New York State Law and will be used only for the purposes outlined in this Agreement. To the extent that the Town is provided with access to, or copies of, BOCES students’ educational records in the context of an incident or investigation, the parties hereto agree to comply with the requirements set forth in the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”), New York State Education Law §2-d, as well as any regulations promulgated under those laws, as the same may be amended from time-to-time.
13. The School shall not assign or subcontract any part of this Agreement to any other person, business, entity, school or event without the prior written consent of the Town. Any assignment hereof shall render this Agreement null and void.
14. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties hereto. This agreement may be amended, modified or changed, in whole or in part, only by written agreement signed by each party.

IN WITNESS THEREOF, the parties hereto have hereunto signed this agreement on the day and year appearing below their respective signatures.