High School District to Pump $600k into Smarter Surveillance System

The board of a California school system has approved funding to replace legacy security camera gear. West Sonoma County Union High School District awarded the $602,948 contract to Integrated Security Controls, a regional solution provider.

According to local reporting, the Santa Rosa company will be installing 96 cameras at three high schools, Analy, El Molino and Laguna, as well as software with analytics that will enable administrators to view what's happening at their schools.

During the meeting where the approval was given, facilities manager Jennie Bruneman told the board that the previous camera system was "very difficult to use," forcing users to manually look through footage to find what they needed. With the new equipment, users will be able to search on specific details — "a student wearing a ball cap and a red shirt" — and the analytics will identify that individual as he or she moves around the campus.

The Integrated Security solution was chosen after a pilot project that tested two companies' systems. The specific equipment being installed comes from Avigilon, a Motorola Solutions company.

The camera installation is expected to be done by the end of September, Bruneman told the board.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Little Grand Market

    Designing for Belonging: Why Student Wellness Starts with Space

    From walkable site planning to flexible interiors, intentional design choices play a critical role in how students experience comfort, connection, and community.

  • Ohio State University Opens 26-Story Hospital

    The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center recently opened in Columbus, Ohio, standing 26 stories and covering 1.9 million square feet, according to a university news release. The project marks ten years of effort and is the university’s largest single-facility construction project ever.

  • South Carolina District Starts Construction on $50M Middle School Renovation

    The Aiken County Public School District in North Augusta, S.C., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the $50-million renovation and expansion of North Augusta Middle School, according to a news release. The project’s funding comes from the 2024 renewal of a one-cent sales tax approved by local voters.

  • Utah Valley University Opens New Engineering Building

    Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, recently held a grand-opening ceremony for the new Scott M. Smith Engineering Building, according to a news release. The facility is one of the largest engineering buildings in the state at almost 200,000 square feet, and it plays home to the university’s Smith College of Engineering and Technology (SCET).