W. Babylon Schools Reviewing Safety Procedures

The West Babylon School District will be maintaining its priorities on student safety in the aftermath of the school shootings in Newtown, Connecticut last Friday.

"We are taking immediate steps to review our lockdown procedures to optimize effectiveness, ensure that exterior doors and unoccupied areas are locked, and that everyone has a heightened awareness of their surroundings," said West Babylon Superintendent Anthony Cacciola in a statement. "As a community, we will do all we can to ensure the well-being of students and staff."

Cacciola said the district would continue to monitor the needs of all of its students following the tragedy in Connecticut. School psychologists and counselors will be on hand to help any student and the district urges parents to contact the child's school if further help is necessary.

"The families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School and the community of Newtown, Connecticut, are in our thoughts and prayers," said Cacciola. "Such a horrific tragedy affects everyone in different ways."

In addition to reviewing the district's current safety policies as a whole, Cacciola said principals are meeting with their building crisis teams to review their individual emergency management plans and procedures.

"Central Administration and the Board of Education will also work with our Health & Safety Officer to  review our emergency management plan and procedures to  ensure that we are doing as much as we practically can," he said.

Cacciola also thanked the Suffolk County First Precinct for increasing police presence around the school buildings, especially following Friday's events.