The Bethlehem Area School District board June 23 approved turning on the audio capability in the video cameras already installed in the districts school buses in a 6-3 vote.

The district already utilizes video recording on school vehicles in accordance with the state wiretap and electronic surveillance act. This act was changed in February to allow for the use of audio recording in addition to the video recording. The district has revised the policy regarding recording on school buses to include the audio and will send the annual required notices to students' homes.

The use of these recoding measures on the buses are to support efforts to maintain discipline and ensure the safety and security of student while traveling on the vehicles.

Some officials voted against the policy, expressing unease about recording student's conversations.

School Director Basilio Bonilla Jr. read an email he received from the ACLU expressing concerns about the changes to the district's policy indicating the changes to the wiretapping act to allow audio is unconstitutional.

He then followed the email up with his own opinion on the issue.

"It is my opinion that I cannot in good conscious support a policy that takes away rights of students," said Bonilla.

School Board President Michael Facinetto in response said, "We are not the first district to approve this since the change came. ACLU - that is their opinion that it would be unconstitutional. The policy we have is vetted by PSPA and their council. I don't think there is a legal issue."

School Director Michele Cann, called the ACLU's position ridiculous and said she does not think the policy is unconstitutional.

In an attempt to ease board member's concern over the policy, BASD Superintendent Dr. Joseph Roy informed the board that the recordings would only be pulled if there was an incident. The recording would be pulled after the incident is reported and it is Roy's hope that the recordings would provide more evidence.

In other news the board also approved a two-year agreement with the Blended Schools Network. The agreement provides a subscription to the Blackboard learning management system at a cost not to exceed $11,425 a year. This agreement is to help the district as it works to expand its two track online learning system.