East Williston ed board asks Curran to take immediate school safety action

Rebecca Klar
The East Williston Board of Education wrote a letter to Nassau County Executive Laura Curran about school safety measures after her press conference following the Parkland, Florida shooting did not have any school district representatives. (Photo by Luke Torrance)

School safety was at the center of the conversation during a vigil held by Nassau County Executive Laura Curran in conjunction with the Nassau County Commission for Human Rights last Wednesday in response to the Parkland, Florida shooting.

But no school representatives were present – an omission not lost on the members of the East Williston Board of Education.

“As a past school board of education trustee yourself, you can certainly understand our frustration in your not including school district personnel to express first-hand how serious, scary and real this is for all of us,” board President Mark Kamberg said in a letter to Curran, a copy of which was shared with Blank Slate Media.

At the event, Curran, who served on the Baldwin school board from 2011 to 2014, was joined by local elected officials, religious and community leaders and Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder.

Curran has not seen the letter, according to Michael Martino, Curran’s press spokesman.

During last Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting, Kamberg said the board will be forwarding the letter to the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association and asking other boards to send similar letters to their county executives.

He said the board will likely also forward the letter to the New York State School Boards Association, too.

In her speech, Curran said it is time for action.

She called for tougher background checks and a ban on AR-15 assault rifles and encouraged residents to go to law enforcement if they notice suspicious or concerning behavior.

In the letter, Kamberg referenced Curran’s calls for action, which he said “all take time,” but said the “East Williston School District community is not only searching for answers, but asking for assistance and action now from Nassau County.”

“What new calls to action and security measures have been introduced from the county since the tragic Florida shooting that you can disclose? We would like to share these measures with our residents,” Kamberg said.

Kamberg said a short-term call to action the county can take would be stationing police cars outside schools as districts work with the county to “enhance security plans and procedures.”

Police presence would both show support from the county and “protect our greatest asset, the children of our communities,” Kamberg said.

The county can also “share in the tax burden” with the districts by allocating police resources, Kamberg said.

“This extra layer of support is needed from the county while school districts examine their safety protocols and evaluate measures necessary to keep our schools and children as safe as possible,” Kamberg said.

Share this Article