Board hears security brief: district pays SROs, budgets $6M for security and is piloting AI camera and gun‑detection tools
Loading...
Summary
Board members pressed staff on security staffing and technology costs; the district said it budgets roughly $6 million a year for security staff, pays school resource officers’ salaries for 10 months, and is implementing AI tools for camera‑based weapon detection and banned‑person alerts.
Board members pressed district security staff and administrators about school safety and how security personnel are assigned across campuses during the May 27 budget work session.
Chief security staff Mr. Gibbs told the board that the district pays school resource officers’ salaries and benefits for 10 months and that high schools have SROs in place. "We pay their salary and benefits for 10 months," Gibbs said when asked whether the district pays for SROs.
Board questions and staff responses established several key points: the security budget lines total about $6 million across security coordinator salaries and related lines; the district employs roughly 70 security coordinators reported in the budget and serves about 60 school sites. Gibbs said assignment of security coordinators is based on "the number of incidents" and on demonstrated campus need rather than strictly by enrollment size.
Gibbs also described planned technology upgrades that rely on artificial intelligence. "We're currently in the process of implementing some platforms on top of our current camera systems that will identify through facial recognition, individuals that...have been deemed as a ban from our campuses," he said. He added the district is deploying "gun detecting software" that will integrate with cameras to send notifications to staff and law enforcement when a threat is detected. Staff said funding for some security upgrades will come from bond allocations earmarked for security and capital improvements.
Board discussion included requests for more detailed cost breakdowns and clarification of how security coordinators will be reassigned when schools close or consolidate. No policy or procurement decisions were made at the May 27 session; staff indicated further briefings and potential executive‑session discussion on sensitive security protocols could follow.
