The Syracuse City School District is starting off the first day of school with an emphasis on safety this year.

This year's Safety Plan includes a number of new updates and measures to ensure school is a safe and welcoming space.

The district is adding 40 sentry positions to provide extra support, better technology to prevent weapons from entering buildings and working alongside the city's police department for more patrols.

In addition, staff took mental health training to prepare for any emergency, specifically in detecting behaviors early on.

Officials say the hope is to instill safety, not panic. The Safety Plan available to parents and staff online.