West Hempstead schools learn from Sandy Hook

One year after the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., the West Hempstead district has taken preliminary measures to protect their students as they enter a new year.

“These are always situations that you want to remember as appropriately as you can, and even with the age group of the children that you’re working with,” said West Hempstead Superintendent of Schools John Hogan. “We try to keep the atmosphere as normal as possible when these anniversaries happen.”

Immediately after the incident in Newtown, Hogan said administrators chose to add security guards on staff at each elementary school — Chestnut Street School, George Washington School and Cornwell Avenue School all have guards monitoring their premises — in addition to security cameras that have been installed at all school facilities for years.

Hogan also noted how administrators have attended several workshops about building school security and partnering with local police to enforce risk prevention in the district.

“It’s something that we’re always attentive to,” said Hogan, who will meet with the police commander of the local precinct this month to discuss further risk prevention. “If we have the capability, we’re willing to share any footage we have to the local police department. It’s a concern that we are aware of each day.”

As the district prepares for the 2014-2015 budget, Hogan said that administrators have already started discussing advancements in security — preferably investing in more security guards and cameras — with respect to next year’s spending plan.