Safety

District Safety Plan

2026–2027 District-Wide School Safety Plan

School Safety Update

District Safety Committee
BOE Update May 28, 2026

District Safety Committee

District Safety Committee meeting presentations and minutes can be found below:

School Resource Officers

It is the Clarkstown Central School District's belief that children are our community's most valuable asset. Creating a safe environment for our students to learn and our staff to educate is our top priority.

School is an extension of the community we live in. School resource officers (SROs) are members of our school community who are active, fully-equipped, certified law enforcement officers from the Clarkstown Police Department. They work in partnership with school administrators and staff to assist in the development of procedures designed to provide a safe, positive and productive learning environment.

It is the role of SROs to protect students and staff, and contribute to the safety and security of the school environment. They are also in a unique position to provide guidance and serve as positive role models or someone to turn to in a time of need, while supporting the educational mission of CCSD. You can view the School Resource Officer Program Agreement, which is also available on BoardDocs.

SROs receive specialized training specifically designed for law enforcement officers working in an educational environment and with school administrators. More information on the National Association of School Resource Officer (NASRO) training can be found here.

FAQs

Q1) What are the duties of an SRO?

A1) Below are just some of the ways in which SROs help our school community. For more details, please click here.

Immediate emergency response
Physical presence for safety and emergencies
Assist administrators with specific student issues as appropriate and within legal guidelines
Presence in larger gatherings (i.e. lunch, recess) where they can also develop relationships with students
Traffic control during AM/PM and large events
Consult and participate in safety drills and audits
Tabletop drills to simulate emergency and response
Dog sweeps of school buildings before breaks and Regents exams
Parking safety courses
Presentations in partnership with principals
Guest speaker on specific topics in relevant classes such as Participation in Government
Promote community-based activities such as Youth Court, Youth Academy and the Explorer Program
Intern opportunities for WISE students in Grade 12

Q2) Are SROs and D.A.R.E. officers the same?

A2) No. While SROs fill the invaluable role of protecting our schools, Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) officers educate our Grade 5 students on the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse as well as bullying and other safety topics appropriate for their age group. Although both are employed by CPD and are extremely important to our school community and the well-being of our students, the two roles serve different purposes within our schools. Our D.A.R.E. officer, Kathleen Gavin, works with all nine elementary schools and the Birchwood School to provide top-quality, preventative education to our oldest students as they move into their middle school years.

Officer Gavin

SROs at FFMS

Officer Cunnane

Officer Will Cunnane has been with CPD since 2013. He served the first seven years patrolling in the New City, Congers, Valley Cottage and Central Nyack areas. In March 2019, Officer Cunnane began substituting as one of two SROs at FFMS before being selected for a full-time position in January 2021.

Officer Doyle

Officer Corry Doyle has been with CPD since 2014 and spent the first several years of her career on patrol responding to various emergencies and calls for assistance. She is a graduate of CCSD and The College of Charleston. Since completing the School Resource Officer certification course in January 2022, Officer Doyle has had the opportunity to work with the SRO teams at FFMS, Clarkstown High School North and Clarkstown High School South. She has been an SRO at FFMS since June 2023.

New SRO at FFMS!

Officer Graham

Officer Michael Graham brings over a decade of law enforcement experience and a deep commitment to student safety and community engagement. After he was hired in 2013 by the Clarkstown Police Department and graduated from the Rockland County Police Academy, Officer Graham served as a patrol officer. Throughout the last 12 years.

Most recently, Officer Graham completed the The National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) Basic School Resource Officer (SRO) Course in March 2025, earning certifications in threat evaluation and reporting. Since then, he has served as an alternate SRO at several CCSD schools, stepping in when needed to ensure a continued presence and support for learners and staff.

SROs at CHSN

Officer Vejnoska

Officer Jay Vejnoska has been a police officer since 1998 and spent the first seven years of his career with the NYPD before joining CPD in 2005. He has been an SRO at CHSN since 2018 and obtained an Advanced SRO Certificate in 2021. Officer Vejnoska is also a field training officer and a Youth Academy instructor.

Officer Woulfe

Officer Christopher Woulfe is a United States marine who actively served our country from 2002-2006. He was a squad leader in an infantry platoon with multiple deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2007, Officer Woulfe joined the NYPD as a patrolman in the 48th Precinct in The Bronx. He was hired by CPD in 2014. In addition to being an SRO, Officer Woulfe is a member of the Clarkstown UAV Unit and is a field training officer. In 2022, he received his SRO and State Instructor certifications.

SROs at CHSS

Officer Caivano

Officer Joe Caivano has been a police officer since 1994 and an SRO at CHSS since 2018. He received an Advanced SRO Certificate in 2021. Officer Caivano is an instructor with both CPD's Youth Academy and Emergency Vehicle Operator Course (EVOC) Team and a member of the Bike Unit.

Officer Rolston

Officer Tom Rolston joined CPD in 2015. He became a field training officer in 2019 and Instructor Development Certified in 2020. Officer Rolston also completed his SRO training in 2021 and is a member of CPD's Bike Patrol Unit. Outside of law enforcement, he was previously employed as a teaching assistant and, later, a teacher at FFMS and CHSS – where he also coached the Girls Varsity Soccer team from 2008-2015. Officer Rolston was also a coach with the Clarkstown Soccer Club Travel Program and is currently coaching in the Intramural Program. He is a graduate of CHSS and Dominican University (formerly known as Dominican College) and has a Master of Arts in Teaching from Manhattanville College.

Honoring our SROs

On June 2, 2025, the Rockland County School Boards Association honored our School Resource Officers county-wide. Paul Shapiro, (Suffern) RCSBA, delivered the honors to our very own:

Joseph Caivano
Will Cunnane
Corry Doyle
Kathleen Gavin
Tom Rolston
Jay Vejnoska
Christopher Woulfe

The clarkstown Central School District would like to express our deep appreciation to the Clarkstown Police Department and our School Resource Officers for their tireless efforts in providing a safe environment for all our staff and students to both teach and learn.

Thank you and stay safe!!!