Assemblyman John Lemondes (R,C,I-Lafayette) spent the evening of October 26, 2022 at the Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES facility in Liverpool hosting a forum that investigated the current status of safety for students, teachers and faculty in New York schools. Dubbed the Task Force on School Safety and Security, Lemondes was joined by Task Force Co-Chair Assemblyman Joseph Giglio, Assemblyman Joe Angelino and Assemblyman Jeff Gallahan. The event was co-run with BOCES, with Superintendent Matt Cook represented the prestigious organization.

“I think the time we spent that evening was well worth it, as it put legislative officials on the same page as those who see what’s going on in schools every day,” Lemondes said. “In a busy year such as a midterm year, things have a tendency to fall through the cracks, but I think we made the right decision by putting political business to one side for an evening and discussing the issues that matter to us all as a community. The safety and security of our schools is paramount, and I’m grateful to everyone who came out and shared their thoughts and opinions on what needed changing.”

Guests included representatives from both Cayuga County and Onondaga County in the fields of law enforcement and education, with professionals sharing their concerns and ideas for what steps New York needs to take to better protect their local school communities. This included Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck, Superintendent of the Auburn Enlarged School District Jeffrey Pirozzolo, Assistant Superintendent of the Auburn Enlarged School District Sarah Cupelli, Director of Facilities and Co-Director for Safety at the Auburn Enlarged School District Eric Francisco, and Superintendent of Jordan-Elbridge Central School District James Froio. From Onondaga County, attendance included Onondaga County Probation Department Representative Philip Galuppi, Superintendent of LaFayette Central Schools Jeremy Belfield, and the Superintendent of the Tully School District Michael Hoose.

“The number of guests we had, the number of speakers we interviewed, and what we learned as legislators was invaluable. I really want to thank everyone who came out, because your feedback and your communication with us only sets us up to do our jobs of serving you better,” Lemondes concluded.