Mid Hudson Valley School Districts Collaborate on Safety Workshop

Four school districts in the Mid Hudson Valley region collaborated to share knowledge and set plans for the national issue of school safety at a workshop on student threat assessment and violence prevention on Oct. 13 at the S.S. Seward Memorial Building and Oct. 16 at Chester Elementary School.  

The Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG) workshop was co-hosted by Superintendent Sarah Hadden of the Greenwood Lake Union Free School District, Dr. Lisamarie Spindler from Florida Union Free School District; Michael McElduff from Highland Falls-Fort Montgomery School District; and Catherine O’Hara from Chester Union Free School District. 

The day’s events were led by Anthony Weed, safety coordinator for Orange-Ulster BOCES. Amanda Zampini, Director of Health, Safety and Aquatics for Cornwall Central School District, provided feedback from a school district perspective on forms and reporting for CSTAG. The workshop was further supported by BOCES District Safety Coordinators Jeff DeLuca and John Trazino, who work directly with the participating school districts. 

Weed guided participants in discussion and hands-on exercises to help staff make informed decisions based on student behavior, surrounding circumstances, and information gathered by the school team. 

“[The training supported] an appropriate response that protects the school community while addressing the needs of the student involved,” Weed said. “School safety and student support go hand in hand.”

Participants learned how to use the CSTAG process to distinguish between transient and substantive threats. The workshop also addressed how staff should gather information about incidents, interview students and others involved, document decisions, and develop intervention and safety plans. 

Weed believes that threat assessment is a “prevention and problem-solving process,” and that early reporting and connecting students with appropriate support can resolve problems before they become a crisis. 

“The goal is to keep everyone safe while helping students succeed,” Weed said. 

He hopes participants felt confident and prepared after the workshop.

“Every reported threat deserves attention, and the response should reflect what the team learns through a careful assessment,” he said.