The Rye City School District Board of Education has entered into an agreement with the Sandy Hook Promise Foundation to adopt the foundation’s Say Something anonymous reporting initiative.
The initiative equips students to recognize and report warning signs from individuals who may want to hurt themselves or others, according to a joint memorandum from Sandy Hook Promise and Rye City Schools. The 24/7, 365-day-a-year safety program allows both students and adults to report potential threats, bullying, self-harm, and violence anonymously.
The board approved the adoption at a Jan. 15 meeting with a unanimous vote among those present. Although not yet in practice, the term of the agreement is from Jan. 1, 2026, until June 30, 2029. Currently, all safety reporting is done through the Rye Police Department.
“This now is different because [students] can anonymously report to the schools,” Superintendent Patricia Murray said at the Jan. 15 meeting. “And why this specific program is different from any other anonymous reporting system is that this will go to a call center that is staffed with clinicians who will then direct urgent issues to 911 or to the district.”
Murray also said Sandy Hook Promise will delegate someone to manage the school district’s adoption of the initiative. The school board will work alongside this person and other teachers and administrators to kick off the program in April. Murray plans to inform students and families about the program after the April kickoff, but declined to speak with The Rye Record.
In addition to submitting anonymous reports, students will play a role by taking video-based training, according to the joint memo.
