Board advances revision to policy to explicitly permit security cameras that capture audio, with cautions about student records

The Roanoke Rapids City Schools policy committee recommended a revision to Policy 7325 Tuesday to explicitly state that security cameras "that capture video and audio" may be installed on school property to maintain a safe learning and working environment.

Miss Dean, presenting the committee report, said the current draft referenced video only but that the committee had to acknowledge audio is captured in certain cameras: "We need to mark through 'but not' and add the word 'and' there," she said, proposing the sentence read, "Security cameras that capture video and audio may be installed on school system property to help maintain a safe learning and working environment." The committee recommended the revision for the second reading.

Board discussion raised privacy and recordkeeping issues. Patricia (district counsel/staff) cautioned that archiving video that depicts students may create an educational record and therefore intersect with federal student-privacy protections; she said off-site technical maintenance that allows vendors to log in for adjustments should not require routine recording and retention. The board also noted two concussion-related regulations had been rescinded as information to the board, with state guidelines to be followed.

The committee recommended the revised wording move forward to its required second reading; the board did not take final action to adopt the policy at this meeting.