Nyack, Sept 7 — Nyack’s Board of Education has their first meeting tonight after announcing that it will dedicate $300,000 to prevent 9th and 10th graders from leaving school grounds for lunch. Although about half of those polled in an August survey favored the policy change, there has been less support for the board’s actions now that the program’s price tag has been announced. The $300,000 will cover the cost of adding ten additional security cameras to the 24 already in place and the hiring of up to eight more security people.
The pilot program has been criticized by parents who say the board didn’t take the time to hear from the public before installing new equipment and hiring new security staff to support a two month pilot program. The trustees have also not published the criteria they will use to determine if the pilot program has met its goals.
Initially, the board justified keeping 9th and 10th graders on campus for lunch for safety and achievement goals. But methodology used to calculate failure rates cited by the board has been criticized and the staff member who created those statistics has since dismissed their value.
Tuesday’s school board meeting is at 7:30p at the Nyack Schools’ Administration Building, 13A Dickinson Avenue in Nyack.
I always thought that the new Nyack High School resembled a modern correctional facility. At least now I won’t be the only one.
I’m glad to see my high tax dollars going to work! 34 cameras and 8 additional security guards! Pilot or not I think it’s ridiculous! The money should’ve been spent towards bleachers so the HS could start practicing and playing all their sports games there instead of the old HS. N Midland and the surrounding streets have to put up with early morning loud rap music at practices, games days with traffic congestion, cops on horses, rowdy teens, litter, field lights that brighten space, and so forth. Instead let’s make the HS a security prison.
Does the school need more cameras and security?
Most workplaces and public facilities are all well “camera’d” now. This is not to spy on employees or people but as safeguards against vandalism, theft, and other ilicit activity. These camera systems are not always real-time monitored. Just the knowledge of there existance is often enough.
Let’s be realistic, in-school vandalism, violence, and illegal transactions occur. The Nyack BOE needs to justify what the state of the current security system is and what improvements this upgrade will bring.
Once purchased, we won’t be getting rid of the new cameras whether or not the new closed campus policy is adopted or modified.