May 26, 2022

Dear Williamsville Community,

It’s been a somber week for the Western New York community.   Our thoughts continue to be with the families impacted by the hateful, racist act of violence that took the lives of 10 individuals in Buffalo. Our thoughts are also with the community in Uvalde, Texas, after 19 students and two teachers were killed at Robb Elementary School. These are traumatic events that our communities will remember forever.

I want to reassure our families and community that safety remains the District’s top priority.  If you see something, say something. This is one of the first and most important preventative strategies our entire community can follow.

As we have shared, we are grateful for the partnership we have with the Amherst Police Department and thankful to have three full-time School Resource Officers in our District. They have had an increased presence, visiting our schools and interacting with our faculty, staff, and students. In a meeting with Supervisor Kulpa and Chief Chamberlin yesterday, we are pleased that increased patrols will be taking place around our school facilities.  We will continue to work in partnership with our Town Supervisor and Amherst Police.  We will also have additional security officers visiting our elementary and middle schools for the remainder of the school year through our security firm partner.

As we continue to navigate these tragic events, our school psychologists, counselors, and mental health support staff also remain ready and able to speak with our students and staff members.

We have a District safety plan that is posted on the District website under the Parents and Students tab.  This safety plan is updated and presented to the Board of Education in July every year.  Following that, there is a 30-day period for public comment from stakeholders to allow for input and adjustments that need to be made prior to the safety plan being adopted in August. Each of our schools also have building-based plans in place for emergencies.

I also want to reiterate that all indivdiuals – parents/guardians, volunteers, and visitors to the buildings – are required to buzz in and state their purpose to each of our buildings prior to being allowed entry.  Then, upon entry, they must report to the main office.  Staff members are identifiable by the Williamsville badges they are required to display.

Finally, as some might have noticed at our schools, construction has started on the School Security Improvement Project.   In 2020, our community approved funding for this capital project, which provides safety and infrastructure updates to all 13 schools. 

Construction will continue throughout the summer.  Information on the security project can be found on the District’s website here: https://www.williamsvillek12.org/departments/business/2020_capital_project.php. 

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. We know these are challenging times but will continue to do everything we can to provide a safe and welcoming school environment.  We all have a part to play in keeping our community safe, and together, we can and we will.

Sincerely,

Dr. Darren J. Brown-Hall
Superintendent of Schools