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Adopted: March 29, 2011
Policy
For reasons of enhancing the safety of students, staff and others on school premises and deterring destructive acts, the Board authorizes the use of video surveillance equipment on School District property where circumstances have shown that it is necessary for these purposes and its benefit outweighs its impact on the privacy of those observed.
The Board recognizes both its legal obligations to provide appropriate levels of supervision in the interests of student safety and the fact that students and staff have privacy rights that are reduced, but not eliminated, while at school. Thus video surveillance must be carried out in a way that respects student and staff privacy rights.
A recording is recognized to be subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA).
Administrative Procedures
Routine Use
Video cameras may be used to monitor and/or record.
Video surveillance camera locations must be authorized by the building administrator (school principal or building supervisor), or officers of the School District. The School Planning Council (SPC) of an affected school must approve of any permanent video surveillance camera installation and proposed locations before any authorization is granted (excluding investigative use). Any change in camera location must be authorized in the same manner. If a school planning council makes a recommendation to the board for installation of video surveillance in a school facility or on school land, the board will refer the request to the building administrator or request a report from the building administrator.
Video surveillance may be used at times and places where vandalism, safety or security issues are likely to occur.
Public notification signs, clearly written and prominently displayed, must be in place in areas that are subject to video surveillance. Notice must include contact information of the building administrator or designated staff person who is responsible for answering questions about the surveillance system.
Video surveillance is not to be ordinarily used in locations where private activities/functions are routinely carried out (e.g., bathrooms).
Investigative Use
The Superintendent of Schools (or designate) may authorize video surveillance for a time-limited specific investigation into criminal conduct on the grounds that covert surveillance is essential to the success of the investigation and the need outweighs the privacy interest of the persons likely to be observed. Covert surveillance may not be authorized on an ongoing basis.
Temporary installations of video surveillance for specific investigative purposes do not require the approval of the SPC.
Security
Video cameras will be installed by a designated employee or agent of the School District. Only designated school district employees or agents and the building administrator shall handle the camera or recordings.
Only the building administrator or designated School District employee shall have access to the computer or media on which video surveillance records are stored. The computer and/or recording media shall be password protected, encrypted and stored in a secure area away from public viewing to which only the building administrator or designated school district employee has access.
Recordings may never be sold, publicly viewed or distributed in any other fashion except as provided for by the policy and appropriate legislation.
Real Time Monitoring
Real time monitoring may be implemented for the purposes of identifying problems that require immediate intervention and for the safety of people on the premises during regular school hours or after hours and weekends to monitor community use of schools. SPC approval will be required.
Real time monitoring may also be permitted for other purposes such as monitoring weather conditions for grounds maintenance purposes (e.g., ice and snow removal) and will not require SPC approval.
Viewing Recordings
Monitors used to view video recording will not be located in a position that enables public viewing.
Recordings may only be viewed by the building administrator, school district staff with a direct involvement with the recorded contents of the specific recording, parents and students (see below) or designated School District employees or agents responsible for the technical operations of the system (for technical purposes only).
Parents and or guardians may review a segment of a recording if the segment relates to a specific incident (e.g., accident or misconduct) involving their child/children, unless the review might violate the privacy of a third party. In that case, the review should not take place unless authorized by the School District Information and Privacy officer. Students may view a segment of a recording relating to themselves if they are capable of exercising their own access to information rights under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Student/parent/guardian viewing must be done in the presence of an administrator.
Records may be disclosed to police to assist in police investigations as authorized by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
Retention of Recordings
Where an incident raises a prospect of a legal claim against the School District, the digital video file, or a copy of it, shall be sent to the School District’s insurers.
The system will be configured to loop at least monthly thereby automatically erasing the previous month’s video recording.
Video recordings will be retained for one year if the recording has been used in making a decision about an individual as required by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act unless earlier erasure is authorized by or on behalf of the individual.
Review
Each building administrator is responsible for the proper implementation and control of the video surveillance system. The building administrator should involve the maintenance department to repair, install or maintain these systems to a District standard.
The Superintendent of Schools or designate shall conduct a review at least annually to ensure that this policy and procedures are being adhered to and to make a report to the Board on the use of video surveillance in the School District.
Video monitoring is to be carried out in accordance with this policy and these procedures. The Board will not accept the improper use of video surveillance and will take appropriate action in any cases of wrongful use of this policy.
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