STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – The State College Area School Board of Directors has approved using audio recording on school buses and other district vehicles.
The board approved the policy in a 6-3 vote. The decision comes a year after Pennsylvania changed wiretapping laws, including which school districts were given an exception to the ban on such recordings, StateCollege.com reports.
Video cameras with audio capabilities are already installed on district vehicles, although the audio capabilities have been turned off until this point. The district will turn the audio technology back on once parents are informed of the new policy and signs are posted in the vehicles clearly documenting the change.
The audio will not be regularly reviewed in search of problems; rather, district officials will access the recordings in the event of an incident on a school vehicle that requires disciplinary action.
The policy costs slightly more than $27 thousand annually and provides insurance in the event of a cyber-security breach. Should a breach occur, the policy would cover various expenses, including legal costs, the cost of mailing letters to inform any individuals about compromised information and any liability related to unauthorized use of their systems and more.
