Following several high-profile incidents alleging abuse of special needs students and the activism of a number of parent groups in the state of Texas, Governor Greg Abbott signed Texas Senate Bill 507, requiring districts to install audio and video surveillance equipment into select special education classrooms when requested.
Background
Following several high-profile incidents alleging abuse of special needs students (including some non-communicative students), and the activism of a number of parent groups in the state of Texas, Governor Greg Abbott signed Texas Senate Bill 507, requiring districts to install audio and video surveillance equipment into select special education classrooms when requested.
The law requires the installation of cameras and recorders in classrooms meeting certain criteria—if and when a parent, school board member, or school staff requests them from the 2016-2017 school year forward. Surveillance must cover all areas in a classroom, with bathrooms and changing areas excepted, and recorded footage must be retained for a minimum of six months. Many Texas school districts have begun the work of bringing relevant educational spaces into compliance with the law, including the Edna Independent School District.
Challenges
Significantly, SB 507 was not accompanied by additional funding for implementation. It required school districts to cover the cost of surveillance purchases and installation from existing funds, donations, or other alternate funding strategies.
This expands the requirement for school districts such as Edna ISD, beyond the simple purchase and installation of new surveillance solutions, to include the identification of surveillance solutions able to provide maximum quality with a low total cost of ownership and to be as responsive as possible to the law, student needs, and existing budgetary requirements.
Offerings that feature combinations of technical and cost effective benefits have proven a strong fit for school districts, including Edna ISD, looking to meet SB 507 requirements without sacrificing quality for cost, something that is important to institutions such as public schools, charged with both optimal execution of their core educational mission and careful stewardship of public funds.
Solution
Carefully considering Edna ISD's requirements for a highest-quality surveillance solution, capable of audio recording and coverage in compliance with the law, along with their need for a fiscally responsible solution that minimized total cost of ownership, while maximizing value, PSX recommended the
IDIS Total Solution's DirectIP line. The IDIS
Total Solution has a selection of affordable, highest-quality options for school districts, easily scaled to meet any classroom size, configuration, or budget.
The IDIS solution crafted by PSX meets Edna ISD's SB 507 compliance requirements with a custom configuration of IDIS cameras and recorders for multiple classrooms and sites. At the heart of the solution is the IDIS DirectIP Super Fisheye Camera, which features breakthrough IDIS technology recognized by the industry for solving common concerns found with many other fisheye models. The IDIS Super Fisheye offers unparalleled client, camera, and mobile dewarping for a clearer picture and strongest possible assessment and documentation of incidents. It also features the company's award-winning IDIS Smart UX Controls (named a 2016 "New Product of the Year" by Security Products magazine), which allow for agile real-time pointing and zooming in a simplified and smooth manner previously unheard of in the industry. Other IDIS benefits, including two-way communication and the powerful recording and storage technology the company is known for, make the solution an ideal one for Edna ISD's needs.
Results and Benefits
The IDIS Total Solution, differentiated by its ease of installation and use as well as its lack of licensing and maintenance fees, has proven a strong fit for school districts, including Edna ISD. Alan Morris, Vice President of Sales for PSX, stated, "While SB 507 compliance has proven a challenge for some school districts, Edna ISD has shown an uncompromising commitment to its special needs students through the selection of technology that provides easy real-time review of classroom behavior and provides the best, clearest evidence possible should an incident occur."