Riley and Park schools will receive new security cameras. The $126,000 purchase was approved Monday by the Great Bend USD 428 Board of Education.
Assistant Superintendent John Popp said these schools were the next ones in the rotation for camera replacements. “The district has had much success with the 5MP high-definition, cloud-encrypted security cameras that are customizable and expandable, and can be installed and serviced by district employees,” Popp noted in board materials.
These cameras have facial-recognition capabilities, and once a person of interest is identified, the camera can follow the location of that person. They also have audio capability.
Popp said the cost has been running about $60,000 per school. The district has already installed the new cameras at Great Bend High School and Great Bend Middle School.
The cameras last about 10 years and come with a five-year software license that can be renewed.
Asked if they will have any resale value later, Popp said he did not know. Right now they are state-of-the-art. It didn’t appear that the old cameras were worth much.
ZeroEyes
In discussing security cameras, Popp also asked the board to allow him to apply for a grant from the Kansas Attorney General’s Office for its Safe and Secure Firearm Detection Program. The statewide grant initiative helps enhance school safety by enabling public schools to contract with ZeroEyes, a firearm detection technology provider, for services and equipment.
The Legislature has appropriated $10 million for this. Grants are available to all public schools on a first-come, first-served basis.
School board member Aaron Emerson said he has been interested in this AI-assisted technology and has heard there can be false positives. An individual entering a school with a bag of Doritos was flagged as having a gun, and so was a student carrying a clarinet like a rifle. However, he said those incidents occurred with a different company.
Popp said false positives are possible but shouldn’t be a problem. The process is to detect, verify, and alert.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, ZeroEyes software is layered onto a school’s existing security cameras. The system only detects brandished (openly displayed) firearms using AI – no facial recognition is involved. It verifies potential threats 24/7/365 by trained U.S. military veterans in a monitoring center to eliminate false alerts. It then alerts school staff and local law enforcement within as little as 3-5 seconds with real-time details, including images and threat location.
No privacy laws are violated as there is no collection of personally identifiable information.
The school district retains control of camera footage, Popp said. “None of our footage leaves our system.”
It was Popp’s understanding that the grant will pay for this for two years and after that the district can decide if it wants to continue the service. If there is any cost involved, such as a grant match, it will require the school board’s approval.
In another safety item, Popp said the mapping of district buildings previously approved has begun. The maps should be able to integrate with the new cameras. He said that could be “incredibly helpful to 911 in an emergency.”
Roof projects
The board approved the low quote for roof repairs at Great Bend High School, the Panther Activity Center and Park Elementary, from Roofmasters Roofing & Sheet Metal Co., for $747,244 including two add-ons to the base bid.
Assistant Superintendent Popp said the project cost was estimated at around $800,000. One other bid did not include all of the work and the base bid from Farha Roofing was $818,260.
Roofmaster’s base bid was $728,744. Popp recommended two add-ons suggested by the engineer that help USD 428 write the specs. The first was a warranty/rider from the manufacturer to meet a wind rating of 90 mph on all of the roofs, for $11,000. The second addition calls for installation of a prefinished coping cap on the Park Elementary Gym parapet for $7,500.
Paving GBMS Parking
Parking lot and concrete improvements are needed at Great Bend Middle School. Specifications were prepared and now RFQs (requests for quotes) will be issued to qualified, licensed concrete contractors. Popp said anyone wanting to bid must attend a pre-bid meeting on Feb. 25. Bids will be accepted until March 24.
Transportation and Grounds Director Cody Schmidt said work will start on July 1 and should be done by the end of the month.
Contributions approved
In other business Monday, the school board approved Kroger Rewards incentive contributions of $269.63 to Lincoln Elementary and $176.12 to Riley Elementary.
The GBHS Activities Department received the following contributions for the Winter Fundraiser:
• $50 from Robert L. Fuqua for Matilda Philbern Basketball
• $50 from Mildred Burroughs for the swim team
• $100 from James and Kathy Vopat for girls basketball
• $100 from OPI LLC for the Winter fundraiser
• $350 from Wolfpack Printing for reward incentives (wrestling shirts)
• $134.19 from BSN Sports for reward incentives
