The multi-million dollar renovation of Stevens High School now includes $43,000 in security cameras. The committee overseeing the renovation voted Wednesday to use money from a contingency fund for the project to pay for interior video cameras that will monitor common areas including hallways, classrooms, the gymnasium, and the auditorium.

The decision brings the total cost for new security system to about $104,000. Steve Horton, the school district’s representative on the $12.6 million project, told the committee that while all the cameras will record each area “24/7” and the recordings are saved for 30 days on the server, there is only one monitor to show any of the recording in real time.

“The majority (of cameras) won’t be manned,” Horton said. Chairman Dave Putnam told the committee that the School Board made it clear at its meeting two weeks ago that interior cameras needed to be part of the security system.

“Cameras are important,” he said. “They help control behavior.”

Other features of the system include cameras at all exterior doors, alarms on the doors, and panic buttons in the administration offices.

The committee also discussed issuing “smart cards” for students and staff to gain access to the building but did not reach a decision.

Committee member Rick Plourde, who works in maintenance at Stevens, said smart cards could be programmed to permit access to different areas of the building, depending on the card-holder.

“Smart cards are probably the best way to go,” Plourde said. […]