During the April 7 Bethlehem Area School District board meeting Mark Stein, director of facilities and operations, updating the district's policy on video cameras on buses. The potential changes would allow for audio recording along with the visual footage that is currently recorded.

The proposed update to the policy comes after changes were made to the Wiretap and Electronic Surveillance Act to permit audio recording on Buses via Act 9 of 2014. The law outlines three steps school districts must follow to utilize audio recordings on buses, the board adopts a policy authorizing audio recording on school buses for disciplinary or security purposes, the board annually notifies students and parents/guardians of the policy by letter mailed to the students home address, and the board posts a clearly visible notice on each bus that passengers may be audio recorded.

Stein said that while the majority of the district's buses have antiquated video equipment some have digital systems and in order to record audio it would just be a matter of turning the audio capability on in the camera.

"I think it is worth devising a policy that permits us to turn on the audio. Not sure it's going to be helpful every time, [due to] the noise on the bus. Most difficult cases are bullying on the bus, not sure how helpful the audio would be," said Superintendent Dr. Joseph Roy.

Board discussion then centered around approbate use of the audio if the district policy is updated to include it.

Director Michelle Cann proposed reviewing the audio only when there is an incident on the bus that needs to be reviewed.

Board President Michael Facinetto was completely against using audio recording on the school buses.

"Something about the audio bothers me. I don't know what audio would do. I'm not in favor of it," said Facinetto.

Cann responded saying that it's a public school bus and there is no expectation of privacy.

After discussion with the board, any policy updates and revisions that may occur over the coming weeks will result in an agenda item for either the May or June board meetings. Any potential changes to the current policy would not take effect until the 2014-15 school year.

Roy said transportation would really like the ability to turn on the audio, and he plans to come back with a revised policy.

In other news the BASD school district is pursuing leasing a portion of the Rose Garden from the City of Bethlehem to use as a staging area for construction vehicles and teacher and construction worker parking during the term of the Nitschmann MS project. There is no cost for the lease which would be for a period of three years, however the district will remove an existing playground in the lease boundary and install a similar playground elsewhere in the park area designated by the City. The district will also replace 250 feet of sidewalk and trim the trees adjacent to the staging area.

"Looking at 10th and union to use as parking and construction trailers for duration of construction and then return it to what it was when done," said Stein of the lease.

BASD is waiting for an answer from City Council.