1085-POLICY AND ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS REGARDING SCHOOL SECURITY AND SAFETY

Printable PDF

The Newtown Board of Education (the “Board”) will develop and implement an all-hazards security and safety plan with a school-specific annex for each school within the Newtown Public Schools (the “District”) or a school security and safety plan for each school within the District (together, “School Security and Safety Plans”) to bolster existing emergency preparedness, response capability, and school safety and security measures and to address all-hazards threats.

School Security and Safety Plans will be based on the school security and safety plan standards developed by the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (“DESPP”), the Guidance to K-12 Public Schools Pertaining to Immigration Activities developed by the Connecticut State Department of Education (“CSDE”), and other applicable requirements.

For the school year commencing July 1, 2024, and each school year thereafter, each School Security and Safety Plan shall be updated to include protocols for interacting with a federal immigration authority who appears in person at a school in the District or otherwise contacts a school to request information. For purposes of this policy, a “federal immigration authority” means “any officer, employee or other person otherwise paid by or acting as an agent of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement or any successor agency thereto or any division thereof or any officer, employee or other person otherwise paid by or acting as an agent of the United States Department of Homeland Security or any successor agency thereto who is charged with enforcement of the civil provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act.”

Such protocols shall be based on applicable law and the CSDE’s Guidance to K-12 Public Schools Pertaining to Immigration Activities”), or any subsequent applicable CSDE guidance, and shall include, at a minimum:

A. the designation of at least one administrator at each school to serve as the individual responsible for interacting with the federal immigration authority;

B. provisions that such administrator, or any other school employee, may:

1. request and record a federal immigration authority’s identification, including the name, badge or identification number, telephone number and business card of such federal immigration authority;

2. ask such federal immigration authority if the federal immigration authority is in possession of a judicial warrant to support the federal immigration authority’s request and, if so, to produce such judicial warrant;

3. review any warrant or other materials that the federal immigration authority produces to determine who issued such warrant and what the warrant or other material authorizes the federal immigration authority to do; and

4. consult with legal counsel for the Board, or guidance developed by such legal counsel, on how to interact with the federal immigration authority with regards to the nature of the request, whether a warrant is produced, the details of any such warrant, whether such warrant is a judicial warrant or an administrative warrant, whether the federal immigration authority is claiming exigent circumstances, and any other consideration identified by the Board’s legal counsel; and

C. permission for other school personnel to direct such federal immigration authority who requests access to any records, information, the interior of the school building or other school personnel to communicate with the administrator designated to interact with the federal immigration authority.

The Board shall annually submit its School Security and Safety Plans to DESPP, in accordance with state law.

School Security and Safety Plans should be kept securely and will only be provided to the Board, school staff and administration, members of the school security and safety committees, members of state and local law enforcement, first responders, local municipal officials, or other persons authorized by the Board or the Superintendent (e.g., consultants, contractors). Pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes § 1-210(b)(19), School Security and Safety Plans will not be available to the public.

Legal References:

State Law:

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 1-210(b)(19)

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-222m

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-222n

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-222aa

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-231

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 28-7

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-192h

Public Act No. 25-1, “An Act Concerning Interactions Between School Personnel and Immigration Authorities, the Purchase and Operation of

Certain Drones, Grants to Certain Nonprofit Organizations, and Student Athlete Compensation Through Endorsement Contracts and Revenue Sharing Agreements”

State Standards:

Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, School Security and Safety Plan Standards.

Connecticut State Department of Education, Guidance to K-12 Public Schools Pertaining to Immigration Activities (January 28, 2025).

Federal Guidance:

Federal Emergency Management Agency, Guide for Developing

High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans (June 2013).

Approved: October, 7, 2025 NEWTOWN PUBLIC SCHOOLS Newtown, Connecticut

SCHOOL SECURITY AND SAFETY ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS

I. Security and Safety Committee

The Newtown Board of Education (the “Board”), through the Superintendent of Schools (the “Superintendent”), shall establish a school security and safety committee at each school under the jurisdiction of the Board (the “Security and Safety Committee”). The Security and Safety Committee is responsible for assisting in the development of the school’s security and safety plan (the “School Security and Safety Plan”) and in administering said plan.

The Security and Safety Committee shall include in its membership a local police officer, a local first responder, a teacher, the administrator(s) designated by the Superintendent to serve as the individual(s) responsible for interacting with a federal immigration authority who appears in person at the location of the school or otherwise contacts the school to request information, a building administrator employed at the school, a mental health professional, a parent or guardian of a student at the school, and any other person the Board deems necessary. Such additional participants may include another building administrator, a special education department representative, custodian, local emergency management director, local public health director, information technology manager, transportation coordinator, and/or school nurse. Subject matter experts, including but not limited to the local public works director, food services director, the Superintendent, additional law enforcement members, or first responders and representatives of the municipality or others shall also be invited to participate as needed.

The Security and Safety Committee will meet at least twice a year to review and update the School Security and Safety Plan as necessary. In determining whether the School Security and Safety Plan requires updating, the Security and Safety Committee will take into account the results of the security and vulnerability assessment of the school, as described in Section IV below. The Security and Safety Committee shall also be notified of any instances of disturbing or threatening behavior that may not meet the definition of bullying.

Any information provided under this regulation shall be provided in accordance with the confidentiality restrictions imposed under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”) and the Board’s Confidentiality and Access to Student Information policy and accompanying regulations. Specifically, any parent/guardian serving as a member of the Security and Safety Committee shall not have access to information reported to the Security and Safety Committee that would result in a violation of FERPA, and the access of other members of the Security and Safety Committee to personally identifiable student information shall be limited to those individuals on such committee who have a legitimate educational interest in such information.

II. School Security and Safety Plan

Each School Security and Safety Plan will be created using the format prescribed by the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (“DESPP”).

For the school year commencing July 1, 2024, and each school year thereafter, each School Security and Safety Plan shall be updated to include protocols for interacting with a federal immigration authority who appears in person at a school in the Newtown Public Schools (the “District”) or otherwise contacts a school to request information. For purposes of these Administrative Regulations, a “federal immigration authority” means “any officer, employee or other person otherwise paid by or acting as an agent of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement or any successor agency thereto or any division thereof or any officer, employee or other person otherwise paid by or acting as an agent of the United States Department of Homeland Security or any successor agency thereto who is charged with enforcement of the civil provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act.”

Such protocols shall be based on applicable law and the Guidance to K-12 Public Schools Pertaining to Immigration Activities developed by the Connecticut State Department of Education (“CSDE”), or any subsequent applicable CSDE guidance, and shall include, at a minimum:

A. the designation of at least one administrator at each school to serve as the individual responsible for interacting with the federal immigration authority;

B. provisions that such administrator, or any other school employee, may:

1. request and record a federal immigration authority’s identification, including the name, badge or identification number, telephone number and business card of such federal immigration authority;

administrator designated to interact with the federal immigration authority.

D. direction that staff maintain a calm and cooperative manner to avoid: 1) escalating the situation; 2) increasing anxiety among the staff and students; or 3) being perceived as obstructing or interfering with any lawful activities; and

E. direction that the designated administrator or other staff record details regarding the visit, any access the agents gained to information, records, areas, or individuals, whether that access was granted and, if so, who granted such access.

The Board will submit the finalized School Security and Safety Plan for each school to DESPP via its Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (“DEHMS”) Regional Coordinator. On or before November 1 of each school year, the Board will also submit to its DESPP/DEMHS Regional Coordinator the results of the security and vulnerability assessment described in Section IV of these regulations. Additionally, each School Security and Safety Plan will be filed as an annex to the municipality’s Local Emergency Operations Plan, filed annually with DESPP/DEMHS pursuant to Conn. Gen. Stat. § 28-7. A reference kit that meets the requirements of DESPP/DEMHS will be created in conjunction with the security and safety plan, which will be available to first responders in the event of a safety or security emergency.

III. Training and Orientation for School Employees

Each school employee at the school shall receive an orientation on the School Security and Safety Plan, including the school-specific annexes relevant to that employee. Additionally, each school employee at the school shall receive violence prevention training in a manner described in the School Security and Safety Plan. The training will be conducted in cooperation with the Security and Safety Committee and may include other municipal or emergency officials and services. The goal of the orientation and training is to provide the school community and municipal officials with an understanding of the need for unified planning, preparedness, and response.

IV. Assessments

At least every two years, the Board shall conduct a security and vulnerability assessment for each school in the District. Each school’s Security and Safety Committee shall be advised of the results of the assessment for the Security and Safety Committee’s school, and such results shall be considered by the Security and Safety Committee in updating and revising the School Security and Safety Plan.

Local law enforcement and other public safety officials, including the local emergency management director, fire marshal, building inspector and emergency medical services representative, shall each evaluate, score, and provide feedback on a representative sample of fire drills and crisis response drills at each school in the District. By July 1 of each year, the Board shall submit a report to the DEMHS Regional Coordinator regarding types, frequency, and feedback related to the fire drills and crisis response drills.

Legal References:

State Law:

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 1-210(b)(19)

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-222m

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-222n

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-222aa

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-231

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 28-7

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-192h

Public Act No. 25-1, “An Act Concerning Interactions Between School Personnel and Immigration Authorities, the

Purchase and Operation of Certain Drones, Grants to Certain Nonprofit Organizations, and Student Athlete

Compensation Through Endorsement Contracts and Revenue Sharing Agreements”

State Standards:

Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, School Security and Safety Plan Standards.

Connecticut State Department of Education, Guidance to K-12 Public Schools Pertaining to Immigration Activities

(January 28, 2025).

Federal Guidance:

Federal Emergency Management Agency, Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans

(June 2013).

Administrative Regulations Adopted: October 7, 2025

1085-POLICY AND ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS REGARDING SCHOOL SECURITY AND SAFETY

Contact