NOTIFICATION TO REQUESTOR OF RECEIPT OF REQUEST:

 

The Executive Director for Special Education will notify the Parent or Staff Member in writing that the request has been received. The notice shall include:

• Date the request was received by the campus designated administrator;
• Whether the classroom for which the request was made is one in which video surveillance monitoring can be placed;
• all areas in the classroom except the inside of restrooms or any place where students are changed or they are diapered;
• Notice that the video cameras will be in operation at all times during the instructional day when students are being instructed in the self-contained classroom or other special education setting
• That the parent will be notified when the video surveillance has been installed and operational

STEPS FOR PLACEMENT OF VIDEO SURVEILLANCE EQUIPMENT:

1. The Executive Director for Special Education designee will submit a request to the Chief of Operations following a request for placement of video surveillance equipment in a classroom that meets the requirements.
2. Upon receipt of the request, the Operations Department will install the video surveillance equipment within a reasonable period of time unless circumstances require additional time to install the equipment.

 

PROCEDURES FOR PROVIDING ADVANCED WRITTEN NOTICE TO PARENTS AND SCHOOL STAFF:

 

At least five school days prior to placing video surveillance equipment in any of the above described classrooms, written notice will be provided to the parents of all students in the classroom and all school staff. The notice will specify that the video cameras will be capable of recording video and audio in all areas of the classroom, except that no video may be conducted of the inside of a bathroom or other area used for toileting or diapering a student, or removing or changing a student's clothes. Parental consent for placement of the video surveillance equipment is not required.

 

PROCEDURES VIDEO STORAGE AND MONITORING:

 

Once the video surveillance equipment is placed in the classroom, video recordings will be retained for at least three months after the date the video was recorded. Regular or continual monitoring of the video is prohibited and the video recordings shall not be used for routine teacher evaluation, monitoring of teacher or for any purpose other than the promotion of student safety. The video recording is confidential and may not be released or viewed except in limited circumstance.

 

Personnel who will have access to video equipment or video recordings for purposes of operating and maintaining the equipment or recordings shall include the  Officer of Technology and  designees, the campus administrator and designees, the Executive Director of Special Education and Special Education Managers,  the Chief Officer of Human Resources or designee and the Chief of Police and/or designee.

 

PROCEDURES FOR MAKING A COMPLAINT OF AN INCIDENT:

 

A video recording will be released for viewing in response to a written complaint of an incident as that term is defined in these procedures. The written complaint of an incident must include, to the extent known:

• The name of the student
• The date, location, and time of the incident
• The name of the staff member or other student involved in the incident
• A description of the incident alleged to have occurred
• The name of the person making the complaint and his/her relationship to the student

 

A written complaint regarding an incident should be made as soon as possible after being notified of the incident. The person making the complaint will be asked to complete the Complaint Form. If the person refuses or is unable to complete the Complaint Form, the designated campus administrator will complete the form with the information provided.

 

PROCEDURES FOR CONFIDENTIALITY:

A video recording of a student is confidential and may not be viewed except in response to a written complaint to the district of an incident documented by the recording, or as permitted by the below procedures.

 

ADDITIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES FOR VIEWING VIDEO RECORDING:

• A video recording may be released for viewing in other limited circumstances:
• By an appropriate Texas Department of Family and Protective Services personnel as part of an investigation under the Texas Family Code;
• By an appropriate SBEC personnel or agents as part of an investigation;
• By a peace officer, school nurse, administrator trained in de-escalation and restraint techniques as provided by Commissioner's rule, or a Human Resources staff member designated by the Board of Trustees in response to a complaint or an investigation of district or school personnel or a complaint of abuse committed by a student;
• By appropriate district legal and HR personnel, and/or to a parent upon a request in a legal proceeding if a peace officer, school nurse, district administrator trained in de- escalation and restraint, designated HR staff member, DFPS personnel or SBEC believes the recording documents a violation of district or school policy.

All videos will be viewed at the Spring I.S.D. Special Education Office.

 

STEPS FOR ORGANIZING THE VIEWING:

1. The Campus Administrator or administrator designee will contact the Office of School Leadership and Student Support Services that a complaint has been received alleging an incident as defined by these procedures.
2. The Office of School Leadership and Student Support Services will designate and notify appropriate district officials.
3. The parent and/or employee involved in the incident that is the subject of a written complaint will be notified of the viewing of the video recording no later than 5 school days following the date of the written complaint of an incident.  A date and time will be set for the viewing.

 

STEPS FOR VIEWING:

1.  On the date of the viewing a designee from the Office of School Leadership and Student Support Services, the campus Principal, the Executive Director for Special Education Services or Designee, other District Administrator(s) and/or staff trained in de-escalation and restraint, and/or a designated Human Resources staff member will view the video.
2. The video will be viewed by the parent with the Principal and District Administrators, and/or staff trained in de-escalation and restraint, and/or a designated Human Resources member.
3. The video will be viewed by the Staff Member with the Principal and District Administrators, and/or staff trained in de-escalation and restraint, and/or a designed Human Resources staff member.

PROCEDURES FOR RESPONSE TO VIEWING:

•  If a person viewing the video believes the recording documents a possible violation of the Family Code, the person shall notify Department of Family and Protective Services.
• If a person viewing the video determines the recording reveals a violation of district or school policy, the district may allow access to the recording to appropriate legal and HR personnel of Spring ISD.
• A recording determined to document a violation of district or school policy can be used as part of a disciplinary action against district or school personnel and can be released at the request of the student's parent/guardian in a legal proceeding. A recording believed to document a possible violation of school district or campus policy must be released for viewing by the district school employee who is subject to the disciplinary action at the request of the employee.

 

STEPS FOR RESPONDING:

1.  Any indication of abuse or neglect in the viewing shall be forwarded to Spring ISD Chief of Police and Child Protective Services for investigation. If the incident does not rise to the level of a report for abuse or neglect, the video recording shall be forwarded back to the appropriate supervisor for an administrative investigation.
2. Any indication of violation of district or school policy shall be forwarded to the Office of School Leadership and Student Support Services, and Chief Human Resources Officer for viewing and documentation.