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Board approves cabling contract for campus cameras; discusses fences, gates and timeline for Grand Lawn work
Summary
The board approved a contract to install cabling and infrastructure for cameras, vape detectors and PA speakers at three campuses and held a multi‑hour discussion about campus perimeter fencing, automated gates and coordination with city camera systems and Grand Lawn construction timelines.
The Beverly Hills Unified School District board voted June 10 to approve a contract for infrastructure work to support campus cameras, vape detectors and public address systems at Beverly Hills High School, Beverly Vista Middle School and Horace Mann Elementary.
The contract, presented to the board as a bid award, covers cabling and other infrastructure work; the actual cameras are being provided through the city partnership, staff said. The installation contract includes low‑voltage wiring for vape detectors and PA speakers; the awarded contractor was given a 57‑calendar‑day schedule for the intrusive infrastructure work. District staff said city personnel are coordinating camera selection and a command‑center tie‑in.
Board members then held a wide-ranging discussion about perimeter security at Beverly Hills High School’s front lawn and Grand Lawn project. Staff and the construction manager described the schedule: the contractor working on adjacent projects plans to demobilize by late July so that the new construction manager can mobilize on the Grand Lawn; district staff said they are targeting substantial completion of the current activity by late July and a December target for the landscaped Grand Lawn work, dependent on construction sequencing. The board directed staff to pursue options to harden the perimeter and explore automating the main vehicle/pedestrian gate so it is not left open by default.
On fence height the board debated alternatives; current approved plans call for an 8‑foot wrought‑iron fence with pointed pickets in some areas. Several trustees asked staff to research the cost and schedule implications of taller fencing (for example 10–12 feet) and to return with estimates and DSA (Division of the State Architect) timing implications, noting that changes would require revised engineering and additional DSA review. Staff cautioned that structural changes could delay the schedule and add costs; the board asked staff to report back at the next meeting with cost and schedule options and to request a security consultant threat assessment.
Why it matters: the work funds safety upgrades and ties into ongoing construction (B3/B4 and Grand Lawn). Choice of fencing and the schedule will affect summer construction sequencing, campus access and the student use of the new front lawn.
Next steps: staff will return estimates for higher fences and gate automation, seek a security threat assessment, and coordinate camera installation with the city command center and the contractor schedule to minimize disruptions.
