Board approves safety plan and meal pricing

The Monroe-Woodbury school board approved measures on school safety and meal prices at its Wednesday, Aug. 27 meeting. The proceedings come as the school district prepares to begin the 2025-26 school year on Sept. 3.

This year’s safety plan includes updates to the New York State Emergency Response Terms and adds an annex on maximum temperature regulations for school buildings. According to Joseph Tripodo, the Director of Security and Emergency Preparedness, the plan also reflects changes to an after-school annex and a cardiac arrest emergency response plan.

“The Monroe-Woodbury’s District Wide Safety Plan addresses school emergencies and violence through a multi-layered approach and I am extremely confident in its capabilities to help prevent and minimize the effects of any emergency,” Tripodo, who did not attend the meeting, said in a statement.

The school safety plan was passed on the same day that a gunman opened fire at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, killing two students and injuring 17 people during a back to school mass.

During the board meeting, Assistant Superintendent for Business and Management Services Patrick Cahill discussed school safety goals for the year, including the implementation of a remote panic alarm system for faculty districtwide.

Cahill said the collaborative initiative between the Technology, Safety, and Business and Management Services Departments was in the works for years.

The system, which is run by safety company Centegix, is designed to notify administrators and law enforcement of any emergencies on school property. Faculty will be provided with a wearable badge, containing a panic button that initiates an isolated, administrative response or a campus-wide, law enforcement response. The number of times that the button is pressed determines the necessary emergency response. Once the button is pushed, it immediately notifies officials of the faculty member’s precise location.

Dr. Bhargav Yvas, the Assistant Superintendent for Compliance and Information Systems, emphasized that the system will be tested before roll out, which is expected to happen in the fall or winter. Faculty will also receive training on how to use the system.

A kickoff meeting for the remote panic alarm system is scheduled for Oct. 15, where questions about the system will be addressed.

Meal prices

The board approved the district’s meal prices, which will continue to follow the Community Eligibility Provision — a program that allows school districts to provide free meals for all students. The school district has participated in the program since November 2023.

Under the program, students are eligible for one free meal for both breakfast and lunch. Students who bring their own lunch to school can add to their meal by choosing three out of five meal options (milk, protein, whole grain, vegetable, and fruit) at no cost.

Since the district’s participation in the program, Lyn Prestia, the Director of Food Services, indicated that the district observed a steady increase in participation among students. Last year, the district served a million meals, reflecting a 36% increase in breakfast participation and a 9% increase in lunch participation compared to the 2023-24 school year.

“With the Community Eligibility Provision, we do believe students are more focused and we are excited about the potential to strengthen attendance, participation and overall academic success here at Monroe-Woodbury,” Prestia, who was also not present at the meeting, said in a statement. “Every meal is an opportunity to support student success, foster inclusivity, and strengthen the connection that supports student health, focus, and readiness to learn.”

In May, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the Fiscal Year 2026 Executive Budget into law, containing $254 billion in total spending. The budget includes $340 million to provide free meals to students regardless of their families’ income for all school districts, charter schools, and nonpublic schools.

New York is the latest state to offer free universal school meals, joining eight other states in the country.