Staff Reporter

LULING- “You can view 16 cameras anywhere in the world on one screen,” said Bobby Talbot of La Tech Security Solutions.

La Tech of Baton Rouge and Act Technologies of LaPlace made presentations on school surveillance systems at the St. Charles Parish School Board Capital Improvements Committee meeting on Monday night.

Both companies boasted state of the art computer based surveillance systems with digitally stored video and audio that can be accessed from any computer anywhere. Motion sensor and infrared cameras that can record in the dark, as well as systems that can track items were discussed.

“If somebody leaves a schoolbag sitting on the floor you can see how long it was sitting there, you can scan to see when someone picked it up,” said John Braun, owner of Act Technologies.

Talbot said his system was capable of facial recognition where student’s locations can be tracked by the continual scanning of their faces by cameras throughout the day.

“If you want to know where a certain student was one day all you have to do is look up their name and the data is there,” said Talbot.

In a later interview Sylvia Zeno, 2007-2008 Principal of the year at Albert Cammon Middle School, said of her school’s surveillance. “We have a set of cameras in one area of the building. We haven’t had any major issues where we had to use the camera. It is more or less a venue for helping to make everybody feel comfortable. I’m sure in this day and timeŠthere is a need to feel safer. I think that is the whole concept to be more proactive for changing times, for things that are taking place across the country.”

In other action by the board, they also authorized bids on the renovations to the auditorium at Hahnville High School. The board agenda stated that the renovations are necessary due to current safety and code standards and because of the poor conditions of the existing auditorium seating. The major part of the renovation will be the replacement of seating. The seating capacity will go from 598 to 639 seats, and the new seats will have padding, an improvement over the unpadded plastic seats now in use. In addition the auditorium, as it presently is, has three partitions that can be closed to make three individual rooms. These partitions are rarely used and will be scrapped in the new plan. The floors and some of the walls will also be refinished.

“I’d like to see us build a new gym. It is a 3A gym built in the 60s,” said Sonny Savoie. “Only half of the student population can fit in it, but we just don’t have the money right now.”

Bids for the new Multi-Purpose building at Destrehan High School were authorized as well. Along with the Multi-Purpose building, a softball field, tennis courts, a covered basketball court with toilets, and bleachers for the baseball field will be constructed. The overall price for the project is estimated at $1.5 million, and bid authorization will be advertised for three weeks following the meeting.

A plan to build nine covered play areas at elementary schools throughout the system at an estimated total cost of $5.4 million was slated for further development before it could be authorized for bids.

“Do you think we’ll be able to do all that on that budget?” Superintendent Rodney Lafon asked rhetorically. “I don’t think so.”

Regional Design Group was asked to further develop their plan for the areas and to resubmit a more accurate estimate at the next school board meeting.

The last item the school board looked at was the Speedy Bleacher System. Led by Capital Improvements Committee Chairman Stephen Crovetto the board asked Regional Design Group to instruct them on what size bleachers and how many they should buy. The Speedy Bleacher System is a portable bleacher system that can be used for multiple purposes. The price range is $36,000 to $45,000 per unit with a seating capacity of up to 300.

St. Charles School Board