712.0 Video Surveillance on School Grounds and in School Buildings

VIDEO SURVEILLANCE ON SCHOOL GROUNDS AND IN SCHOOL BUILDINGS

I.        PURPOSE

Maintaining the health, welfare, and safety of students, staff and visitors while on school district property as well as the protection of school district property are important functions of the school district. The School Board recognizes that video/electronic surveillance systems may serve as a deterrent of prohibited activity and assist with monitoring and investigating activity on school property.

II.  GENERAL STATEMENT OF POLICY

1. Placement
   1. School district building and grounds may be equipped with video cameras.  It is commonplace to locate video surveillance equipment at the entrance to schools.
   2. If school district buildings and grounds are equipped with video surveillance, a conspicuous notice will be posted to notify students, staff and the public that they may be recorded.
   3. Video surveillance may occur in any school district building or on any school district property.
   4. Video surveillance may occur in any school bus under contractual agreement with bus companies.
   5. Video surveillance will not be used in bathrooms or locker rooms, although surveillance may occur in hallways in the vicinity of bathrooms or locker rooms.
2. Use of Stored Surveillance Data.  
   1. Surveillance data will be viewed only by the appropriate school building administrator (and/or designee). The data will be used by the building principal to assist in determining whether or not an incident actually occurred, and if so, the severity of the incident. Information obtained from the data that reveal unlawful actions may be brought to the attention of the school police liaison officer and/or law enforcement agencies. The parent/guardian of the student, as well as the student that has been observed and recorded, will be allowed to view the data in accordance with data privacy laws and the Protection and Privacy of Pupil Records policy.  Upon written request, the school district will provide a written summary of the recorded incident(s) to a student pictured on the data or the student's parent/guardians.
   2. Each building principal (and/or designee) will be responsible for the security of the surveillance equipment and for the handling of the data as set forth by the District Records Retention Schedule.   
   3. Any recorded data will be released only in conformance with the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, Minn. Stat. Ch. 13 and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, 20 U.S.C. §1232g and the rules and/or regulations.