Schools to use $3.2M for security cameras, equipment

The city school district plans to use $3.2 million for new security cameras and fire safety equipment using Smart Schools money approved by the state as the first of two phases of work from $5.32 million approved by voters in 2014.

Superintendent Paul Padalino said that local discussions on which projects would utilize the funds were conducted during community presentations in March 2022.

“We’re replacing the existing (security) cameras because they’ve been there for at least 15 years,” he said.

“We’re putting in new controls,” Padalino said. “They all go back to a video control system and retention system. So this will be expanding our capacity to do that.”

The updates will be at seven elementary schools, the pre-kindergarten building, both middle schools, and the high school.

“This will update our intruder alarms … so at night, if someone breaks into one of the schools, we’ll be alerted,” Padalino said.

“It will also update our access point control centers,” he said. “That will be our front door buzzers where our greeters can buzz people in and out. We have cameras there, too.”

Padalino said that while the high school has new cameras, there are parts of the older sections that have obsolete equipment.

“Some of our exterior cameras are older,” Padalino said.

Padalino said discussions are beginning on the use of the balance of Smart School funds.

“Phase 2 is really going to be about community connectivity,” he said.

“We’ll be looking to work with our community partners and give them the access to the internet and such that we have,” Padalino said. “We’ll start planning that probably today at our Facilities Committee meeting and we’ll put that out probably by the end of the year.”

Smart School funding was approved in a $2 billion bond that provides funding based on the percentage of total aid given to school districts. There is no deadline for use of the money but Padalino said that inflation has cut into how much the funds will buy.