VCSD receives highest level award for safety policies and procedures

The Voorheesville Central School District received the School Safety Excellence Award from the Utica National Insurance Group for the third year in a row.

This year, however, the district received the titanium level award with honors, which is the highest level possible, said Sarita Winchell, the school district’s business manager.

“This is a tremendous honor because the Board of Education and school district officials have made safety and health concerns a priority,” Winchell said. “We work hard to provide students with superior educational opportunities, but we also want to be sure that students, faculty and staff members are safe and feel comfortable when they are here.”

The award program rates school districts in 17 safety categories, including transportation, playground safety, indoor air quality, fire safety and more. School districts must complete a lengthy application form and submit documentation to describe how various safety issues are being addressed or would be addressed should an emergency arise.

Although the district’s safety policies and procedures are sound, Winchell said, the process has helped Voorheesville officials identify gaps and shortcomings. So, for the past three years, the Safety Committee has been updating and revising policies to reflect current standards.

For example, the district currently doesn’t have a specific policy that addresses bullying and hazing, even though other policies address those issues to some degree. So, at the request of the Safety Committee, the Character Education Committee, led by middle school Principal Terri Kennedy, has developed such a policy, and the school board will review it for the first time later this spring, Winchell said.

Along with the award, the district received $500 to help further its safety efforts, and Winchell said she would like to use the money to buy additional safety signs.