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More than 7,000 cameras equipped with artificial intelligence capabilities will be installed in Newark schools, under a $12 million contract approved Thursday by the Newark Board of Education.

District officials say the high-tech surveillance system is meant to make schools safer, but that systems with such capabilities could result in an invasion of privacy or could potentially misidentify items or students.

Turn-Key Technologies Inc., based in Sayreville, N.J., will install the cameras and their required servers and storage across schools this summer as part of a two-year contract. Approving the contract was 鈥渢ime-sensitive,鈥� said Valerie Wilson, Newark鈥檚 school business administrator, as district officials want the 7,700 cameras 鈥� roughly one for every five students 鈥� in place by Aug. 31, before the start of the new school year.

The project will be funded in part by federal COVID relief dollars, specifically, American Rescue Plan dollars that expire at the end of September, in conjunction with local funds and grants, Wilson added.

Board member Vereliz Santana said the project was 鈥渃omprehensive and ambitious鈥� and asked for routine updates as installation begins in June. Other members raised questions about how the system would work to detect vaping.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a large bid, as you can see from the funds that are being allocated, but we want to make effective use of our federal funding,鈥� said Wilson during Thursday鈥檚 meeting.

The new system comes as city leaders and advocates call for measures to reduce violence among youth in Newark.

The city will begin enforcing a youth curfew on Friday. The rule is in response to an increase in youth violence, said , which includes two shooting incidents this school year. In November, a 15-year-old Central High School student was shot during a drive-by and in March, another two students were shot outside West Side High School.

Turn-Key鈥檚 new system will expand the district鈥檚 surveillance capabilities, going beyond its current camera system to detect weapons and track people and cars across schools by using license plate and facial recognition. Last year, Newark schools said new technology was needed because its current security set-up is 鈥渙utdated, inefficient,鈥� pointing to no remote access, storage, and other limitations.

In May 2023, the district said it expected to install cameras by the end of that year after requesting bids from surveillance technology companies in September 2023. But the installation was delayed for almost a year after bidders did not meet the New Jersey Alarm or Locksmith License requirement, prompting the district to revise its project specifications and request bids for a second time in April 2024, Wilson said.

In addition to upgrading the district鈥檚 surveillance technology, the new setup will use an 鈥淎vigilon surveillance system,鈥� a type of framework that allows Newark to expand its systems as security needs change or develop, said Jermaine Wilson, a senior research engineer , a security and surveillance research group.

That system will work with that can detect vape, gun sounds, and abnormal noise in areas where there are no cameras such as bathrooms, according to the district鈥檚 request for proposal.

鈥淚 want to be very clear to everybody that in no way shape or form will this result in an invasion of privacy of anyone鈥檚 students, staff, or otherwise,鈥� Wilson said. 鈥淐ameras and devices will not and cannot be placed in areas that are not approved and authorized.鈥�

The contract was approved by all school board members except Crystal Williams who abstained from voting. During the Thursday meeting, board member Josephine Garcia said vaping in schools is an issue the district has 鈥渂een battling and sounding the alarm on for quite some time.鈥� She requested clarification on the type of vape sensors that will be used in schools, an explanation that would be given during the board鈥檚 private operations committee meeting this month due to security concerns, Wilson said.

鈥淪o as we talk about our safety and security initiatives, we want to ensure that we do not provide all of our information in the public domain,鈥� Wilson added.

Superintendent Roger Le贸n said the district is in conversation with the city鈥檚 Office of Emergency Management 鈥渁bout a number of things鈥� that are set to take place this coming school year. He would share more information with the public 鈥渙nce those initiatives are in effect,鈥� Le贸n added.

Wilson also said city police officials would not have access to the system, which includes cameras inside and outside of school buildings and other district locations.

The district has spent millions to increase security over the years. The school district to scan students for contraband and weapons and added six new patrol cars for school safety officers. It also provided its security guards with training on bag scanners, active shooter response, and the district鈥檚 drug and alcohol policy. Newark plans to hire more security guards and update its software to track school incidents.

Thursday鈥檚 contract was approved during May鈥檚 reorganization meeting where Haynes, Santana, Helena Vinhas, and Kanileah Anderson were sworn in after winning . Hasani Council was chosen as board president, along with Santana and Allison James-Frison as co-vice presidents.

Jessie G贸mez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at [email protected].

This was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at . Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.

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