By David A. Sargent,Special to the Sun Journal

AUBURN – The Auburn School Committee this week approved installation of video surveillance cameras at Edward Little High School but held off on deciding whether they would be in operation during school hours.

Ward 2 member Justin W. Leary voiced concern that the use of cameras might be excessively intrusive.

“I think Edward Little is a very safe school,” he said, adding that he doubts there is sufficient need “to merit this intrusive invasion of privacy.”

The committee’s vote to approve tentative camera locations, mostly in stairwells, hallways and parking lots, was unanimous. Leary said he could vote for that as long as a decision on whether or not to operate the cameras while school is in session comes before the committee later.

Tom Morrill, assistant superintendent, and Edward Little High School Principal James H. Miller III briefed members on incidents of theft and violence in the past year. Morrill said theft of equipment from the school and students amounts to a total value of about $13,000.

In response to Leary’s questions, they said it’s not possible to say how many of the problems occurred during school hours, although some of the significant losses of equipment occurred as a result of break-ins.

Leary said he is not convinced that use of surveillance cameras adds anything more than normal and appropriate supervision during school hours would do.

One response in favor of using the cameras full time pointed out that a great deal of administrative time can be saved in review of something like a hallway fight. The visual evidence is quicker to evaluate than would be the case of interviewing students over several days, the committee members were told.

In other action, the committee approved spending about $30,000 to purchase nearly 650 used laptop computers.

The state is offering the chance for schools to buy the four- and five-year-old computers for $48 each. They are the laptops originally distributed in Maine’s innovative pilot program over the past few years.

Not all of the computers are in working condition, but even as parts machines, they have significant value.

The used computers would be deployed as backups and as a lending pool for take-home needs when a student does not own a computer.

Before the meeting at Auburn Middle School, several students demonstrated technology skills.

They were Tyler Shennett, Katelyn Belanger and Krissy Pinard, all eighth-graders, and Michael Weber, Cassie Webster and Miranda Martin, seventh-grade students.

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