The Board believes that the use of videotaping equipment can make positive contributions to the health, safety, and welfare of all students, staff, and visitors to the district, as well as safeguard district facilities and equipment. Having carefully weighed and balanced the rights of privacy of students, staff, and visitors against the district’s goal of ensuring the safety of every student, employee, and visitor while they are on district property and the goal of safeguarding district facilities and equipment, the Board hereby authorizes the use of video cameras on district property as follows:
- Video surveillance shall be used to promote order, to maintain the security, health, welfare, and safety of all staff, students, and visitors on district property, and to safeguard district facilities and equipment.
- The district shall notify staff and students through student/parent and staff handbooks that video surveillance occurs on district property. Additionally, notices shall be posted on or about school district property alerting those on district property that the district is utilizing video surveillance.
- Review of any video recordings is restricted to those who have security, safety, or legitimate educational interest.
- Video recordings may become a part of a student’s educational record or a staff member’s personnel record. The district shall comply with all applicable State and federal laws related to record maintenance and retention. Video files that are records of student and/or staff behavior shall be secured and locked until the files are erased. The video file may be considered a student and/or staff record and shall be subject to current law for the release of student record information and/or staff personnel record.
- Video surveillance may be used for investigations of criminal activity by appropriate law enforcement agencies and may be used by the district to investigate violations of district policy.
- Students or staff in violation of board policies, administrative regulations, building rules, or law shall be subject to appropriate disciplinary action. Others may be referred to law enforcement agencies.
- Video cameras may be installed in public locations as deemed appropriate by the Superintendent and shall not be installed in areas with a reasonable expectation of privacy.
- Audio will be used as part of the video recording on the district's buses. Audio shall not be part of the video recordings made, reviewed, or stored by the district as part of the facility security camera system.