Schools

Nanuet Schools Use State Aid for Security Upgrade

Senator David Carlucci (D-Rockland/Westchester) handed over his driver's license and waited as his name was run through the new visitor management system at Nanuet High School Wednesday. 

Carlucci secured $20,000 in state bullet aid for schools in his district and Nanuet invested the money in the Fast Pass system, which allows security to check a visitor against sex offender and internal watch lists. Once visitors are cleared, they receive photo badges with expiration and final destination.The system was installed at Nanuet High School and Nanuet Middle School in time for the start of classes next week, with the district planning to add it to the elementary schools as well. 

"In the Nanuet School District, we have a tremendous asset. That is the students of our district," Carlucci said. "The families. The teachers. We have a great, quality education, but our number one priority has to be safety. If we don't have a secure place where our children can learn, then we don't really have anything. By using technology....we have at our fingertips all this information that before we could not get. We were just taking a chance (with visitors). Now we can verify with state of the art technology."

The individual districts chose what to do with the state bullet aid. For example, the Pearl River School District also used it for security upgrades which were put in earlier this year. Like many school districts across the country, Pearl River and Nanuet re-examined their security after the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. Carlucci said he hoped other districts would follow the example of using technology to make schools safer. 

"I know the members of the board of education would have liked to be here to thank Senator Carlucci for helping jumpstart a conversation we needed to have after the Newtown tragedy," Nanuet Superintendent Mark McNeill said. "The conversation the board had over months talking about school security, Senator Carlucci's money and the idea of putting in this visitor management system were at the center of it. We are greatly appreciative of the assistance Senator Carlucci has given us. It brought us to this moment where we know kids are going to be safer. Schools are going to be safer. We are going to have a better way of monitoring who watns to come in and have access to these schools."

Wednesday's event included a large group of students, four of which presented Carlucci with a certificate of appreciation. 

"As a parent of three children in this school, I want to thank you for securing these funds for this great security system because there is nothing more important than the safety of our children," said Nanuet PTA Council President Christine Camillieri. "Without that, we have nothing. I'm sure I'm speaking for all of the parents when I say we have a little more piece of mind when we send our kids off to school each day with something like this."


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