For the 16th time, Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS) has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation. Now in its 26th year, the Best Communities for Music Education designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement for providing music access and education to all students.
Video Surveillance 3-64.2
School Board of the City of Virginia Beach
Regulation 3-64.2
BUSINESS AND NONINSTRUCTIONAL OPERATIONS
Video Surveillance
Video surveillance provides a tool for monitoring activity on School Board property to further protect the health, welfare, and safety of students, staff, and visitors. Video surveillance is a valuable deterrent to inappropriate behavior and is a significant factor in protecting school division assets. This system shall not replace the need for the ongoing vigilance of school supervision/security staff. School administrators shall ensure that due diligence is observed in maintaining general campus security.
- Camera Location, Operation and Control
- Placement of cameras is restricted to public areas.
- Areas chosen for surveillance shall be where surveillance is a necessary and viable deterrent.
- Cameras will not monitor areas where people have a reasonable expectation of privacy (e.g. change rooms and restrooms).
- Surveillance cameras are to be used to deter incidents of theft, violence, vandalism or other breaches of security.
- Only authorized personnel shall have access to the monitor operation controls.
- The video camera surveillance system will be in operation virtually 365 days a year and 24 hours per day. However, at the school division’s discretion, video camera surveillance may be suspended without notice.
- Protection of Information and Disclosure
- Security and retention of recordings
- Only those authorized by the Superintendent/designee, Principal/designee, Director of Safety and Loss Control, or Director of Transportation shall have access to the recordings.
- Video monitoring of buildings or areas for security purposes shall be retained for thirty (30) calendar days and then disposed of. Copies of video monitoring preserved as evidence for student hearings or court cases will be made part of the student’s education record.
- Copies of recordings of incidents subject to investigations, court cases or due process hearings must be retained until resolved.
- Video Monitors
- The video monitors shall be in a controlled access area or a privacy screen should be utilized as needed to block public view of the video monitor.
- Only an administrator, authorized staff members, or police officers shall have access to the video monitors while they are in operation.
- Security and retention of recordings
- Use of Information Collected
- Video surveillance may be used for inquiries and proceedings related to law enforcement, student and employee hearings. Video used as evidence for law enforcement purposes may not be altered.
- Videotape/film of students is considered part of a student's educational record and therefore, viewing of a videotape must adhere to regulations of the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
- A video can only be shown to unauthorized persons if the school division receives consent from the adult student or parents/guardians of the other minor students visible in the videotape.
- A copy of a video recording can be released to appropriate authorities. Prior to release of a recording, a Video Surveillance Release Form shall be completed to document who took the recording, when this occurred and whether the recording will be returned or destroyed by the authorities after use.
- A videotape of athletic events, concerts and plays does not hold the same confidentiality because they are public events and therefore can be shown. At the School Division’s discretion, recordings of students that do not involve disciplinary or other confidential information, i.e., hallways, playgrounds, parking lots, etc., may be released without consent of the parties shown on the recording.
Legal Reference
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1230, 1232 g, 34 C.F.R. Part 99, as amended.
Code of Virginia § 18.2-386.1, as amended. Unlawful filming, videotaping or photographing of another.
Code of Virginia § 22.1-289, as amended. Scholastic Records.
Adopted by the Superintendent: June 25, 2008
Revised by the Superintendent: September 28, 2011