When schools put together emergency preparedness plans required by Project SAVE in the past year, no one could have envisioned the events of Sept. 11.

But when terrorists hit the World Trade Center, teachers and other staff described by State Education Commissioner Richard Mills as "quiet heroes" moved students out of harm's way as calmly as if they had been drilling daily for just such an occurrence.

Nevertheless, Mills and the Board of Regents have unveiled guidelines to help schools update security plans in the wake of the unprecedented acts of terrorism.

Mills and Chancellor Carl Hayden also released a list of crisis counseling resources, and advice aimed at encouraging tolerance toward Muslim children in schools.

For more, see the NYSUT Web site, www.nysut.org, with links to the State Education Department site.

The Regents, at the Oct. 4-5 meeting, also addressed the following issues:

• Attendance - They ruled that districts must begin to develop an attendance policy that includes period-by-period checks in grades 9-12. The policy could cost New York City schools up to $40 million in hiring additional staff to track absences, according to the United Federation of Teachers. The UFT is the affiliate of New York State United Teachers in city schools.

• Pesticides - If a school uses pesticides, it now must inform staff and parents regularly, under a measure the Regents approved. The rule requires that schools provide 48-hour notification of pesticide applications. The rule affects public and private schools, and BOCES.

The State Education Department suggests these points be considered in any school safety plan:

• What happens if no administrators are present during a disaster?

• Are there procedures for releasing students after a crisis if parents or guardians cannot be found?

• Are there regular emergency drills?

• Do key building personnel know how to shut down the heating and ventilating system and seal the building?

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