Home

ECAE

VIDEO/SURVEILLANCE CAMERA POLICY

The Board recognizes that buildings and other facilities constitute the greatest financial investment of the District and that it is in the best interest of the Board to protect the District’s investment appropriately and adequately. Furthermore, the Board recognizes the District’s continuing responsibility to maintain order on school property to ensure the safety of staff and students. After carefully balancing the need to protect the District’s property and the need for discipline and safety with students’ and staffs’ interests in privacy, the Board supports the appropriate use of video/surveillance cameras on school property. The Superintendent is responsible for installing and maintaining video/surveillance cameras only where there is a demonstrated need for such monitoring. Such equipment shall be in operation only for the duration of time deemed necessary by the Superintendent to address the identified need. The effectiveness of any video/surveillance camera operation shall be reviewed by the Superintendent on a regular basis.

Notice of the use of video/surveillance cameras for any purpose on District property will be provided to all students, parents and staff in appropriate handbooks on an annual basis. In addition, one or more signs of a highly visible nature shall be posted in any location where a video/surveillance camera is located. No video/surveillance cameras shall be located in classrooms or in any area where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as lavatories or locker rooms. Only the Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, building principal or assistant principal or other appropriate personnel designated by the Superintendent are authorized to view the videotapes or view the monitors. All video/surveillance monitors shall be positioned in such a way as to prevent viewing by the general public, visitors or any unauthorized person. When the resulting videotapes are used as a basis for discipline, the parents/guardians will be notified and given the opportunity to view the tape of their child. Any disciplinary action against a student or staff member resulting from evidence garnered from the use of video/surveillance cameras shall be dealt with in accordance with established Board policy, administrative regulations, established school practices or negotiated agreement.

This policy is not intended to address instances where school staff or students videotape a specific event (such as an athletic event), an isolated instance where a classroom is videotaped for educational or research purposes (for example, where a student is required to record a class project or presentation) or circumstances governed by Article VI, Section 36 of the MSAD 71 School Policy Manual.

Adopted: 01/23/2006