The New Jersey School Boards Association will host its annual School Security and Student Safety Conference on Friday, June 7, offering strategies and information on resources and services to help keep schools and students safe.

The conference will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (registration begins at 8:30 a.m.) at the Conference Center at Mercer, 1200 Old Trenton Rd., West Windsor, N.J. 08550.

The keynote address will feature N.J. State Police Capt. John Marley, who helps lead the Regional Operations Intelligence Center, which is the command post for law enforcement’s response during a crisis.

Capt. Marley will deliver an overview of the school safety and security assistance being provided by the state police, including the N.J. Attorney General’s Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) and how school security has been affected by the Parkland, Fla. shootings. He will also review the state police’s quarterly school safety and security intelligence report, and aspects of the Domestic Security Preparedness Task Force’s school safety and security subcommittee.

Capt. Marley will also provide an overview of the Regional Operations Intelligence Center and the resources it provides to support schools and law enforcement, such as the state’s grid mapping initiative for schools and infrastructure, and a brief overview of the New Jersey cyber communications integration cell.

Other special guests slated to appear at the conference include Patrick Kissane, executive director of the New Jersey Association of School Resource Officers; and Jeff Gale, director of the N.J. Department of Education Office of School Preparedness and Emergency Planning.

The conference will include a variety of breakout sessions and special sessions, as well as an interactive networking lunch, offering an opportunity to participate in round table discussions on hot topics in school security. Group sessions will be announced soon.

Cost/Registration Information The cost is $99 per person. Registration of school board members and other district staff who have been reported to the NJSBA through the completion of the district census form may be completed online, but only by the school business administrator, who must attach a scanned copy of the purchase order with the registration.

Professional Development The program offers 4 Board Member Academy credits. A number of breakout sessions are approved to receive Qualified Purchasing Agent (QPA) credit hours by the Department of Community Affairs and are pending approval to receive Certified Educational Facilities Manager (CEFM) Professional Development credits by the N.J. School Buildings and Grounds Association.

Non-Member Registration Additional district staff members are welcome to register online through Eventbrite using a credit card. (Staff should check with their district’s school business administrator about local district policy regarding reimbursement.)

Who should attend? Attendees should include school board members, business administrators, superintendents, IT directors, human resource professionals, and all district staff members who play a role in school safety including teachers, school resource officers, school security guards, facilities managers and parents.

For questions regarding this program, please email Lou Schimenti, products and services manager, NJSBA.