Williamsville schools aim to be safer

WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. (WIVB) - The Williamsville School District is looking to add extra surveillance cameras and more school resource officers to keep students safe. But those measures come at a cost.

Tuesday night, the school board discussed the proposal. Students' physical and emotional safety is a top priority in the Williamsville Central Schools, say administrators.

Superintendent Dr. Scott Martzloff said, "Being a parent myself in this district, I can say this: we all want the safest environment possible, for our children."

As part of budget talks for the upcoming school year, the Board of Education is considering $300,000 in security improvements, including a hall monitor in each school building; installing an ID card access system for employees; partnering with Amherst Police to add a school resource officer who'd spend four hours a day in the district; and installing more security cameras, particularly outside, to keep an eye on who's approaching school grounds.

In a presentation Tuesday night, Amherst Police Chief John Askey told the board, he especially supports the cameras. The police department now has the equipment, he says, to link up with the schools' cameras, so that if an incident happens, they can see it - live - and know better how to respond.

"I believe in these cameras. I think they're the future. They aren't going to prevent something terrible from happening, possibly, but they're going to be great intel for us, and I think it's a great partnership and a tool that can be used for the schools," Chief Askey said.

Williamsville may be able to pay for these things, with money it already has.

"We're talking about reallocating some funds from different areas where we can save, that are far away from the classroom, that deal with things like operations and maintenance," Dr. Martzloff said.

Board President Carrie Kahn added, "We actively ask the community to become involved in the process, and give us feedback. And then, from the feedback... I'm only one of nine votes. And the nine of us will decide on this budget and the reallocation of the budget items."

To take care of students' emotional needs, the security plan would also put a full-time social worker in every school building.

There are more public work sessions on the budget coming up March 5 and 19.