Parents, students and teachers have stepped up to make Sabattus Central School safer.

It’s time for the Board of Selectmen and the school system to do the same.

Four bomb threats this year have forced the school to hire bathroom monitors as a deterrent to anonymous threats left in the privy. The threats disrupted the school days and created a real hazard for students and teachers. But human monitoring is expensive, costing $60 a day for someone to stand outside the restroom and check it out after students use it.

The principal wants to install video cameras which, in the long run, would make monitoring the bathrooms easier, more efficient and less expensive. To that end, the SAD 44 parent-teacher group has raised $10,000. The school’s student council has kicked in another $500. But the camera fund is still $5,000 short.

The Board of Selectmen, while agreeing that the cameras are a good idea, said Thursday night that the money should come from the school’s contingency fund. The school board hasn’t taken action.

If parents, teachers and students are willing to raise thousands of dollars to make the school safer, the selectmen and the school board have an obligation to do their part.

Five thousand dollars shouldn’t be such a big hurdle for stopping bomb threats and improving school security.