Board approves cloud‑based video retrieval for district buses after security questions
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Summary
The Pender County Board of Education approved a cloud‑hosted video retrieval system for school buses to speed access to footage; board members and the public asked detailed questions about data security, costs and ownership before the purchase was approved.
The Pender County Board of Education approved a cloud‑based video retrieval and storage system for its school bus camera footage at the May 13 meeting, with an initial capital cost and recurring state‑funded subscription.
Transportation staff recommended the system to make it faster for administrators and investigators to retrieve video from buses. “This would allow immediate access as the bus is traveling down the road,” a district staff member said during the discussion. Board members asked for details about data security after recent state data breaches in other systems; staff provided vendor security documentation and said the vendor uses AWS with multiple encryption layers.
The fiscal ask for the project was $125,308.74 in initial capital investment to be paid from the district’s capital fund; ongoing monthly/annual hosting and access fees will be charged against the state transportation allotment (O‑56) in recurring years, staff said. The board approved the purchase after questions about liability, vendor responsibility, and how the system integrates with existing cameras.
Board members emphasized two expected operational benefits: avoid the physical retrieval of SD cards from buses and allow administrators to perform in‑route reviews or respond more quickly to parent concerns. Staff said the system can stream live video or near‑real‑time footage and that it does not contain student Personally Identifiable Information from the student information system — the cloud only stores video and metadata (bus ID, timestamps, GPS).
During public and board discussion, concerns focused on whether the district would remain liable for a breach. Transportation staff said the vendor carries contractual liability for negligence and that the district’s contract will require indemnity provisions. Staff also noted the system is compatible with existing on‑bus cameras and will not require wholesale replacement of hardware.
The board approved the recommendation by voice vote; staff will finalize contract and implementation scheduling with transportation and vendor teams.