Board orders end to Snow Elementary 'firewatch' monitoring, approves final invoices after panel repaired

The Board approved payment of outstanding invoices for a contracted 'firewatch' and directed staff to end further monitoring at decommissioned Snow Elementary after discussing whether the contracted service remained necessary once the building's fire panel was repaired.

Administration reported that a fire‑panel malfunction prompted a firewatch and vandal‑watch contract beginning in February 2024; the panel passed inspection per NFPA 72 and the district's records indicate the panel was functioning by mid‑June. Trustees and staff said the site is decommissioned and regularly boarded, and that a functioning fire panel and annual certification generally remove the need for ongoing paid firewatch monitoring.

A district representative said continued security presence was requested in part to deter vandalism and fireworks—issues the Newark Police Department had flagged as concerns—but trustees questioned whether the monthly vandal‑watch arrangement was the most cost‑effective approach. Board members noted approximately $48,000 of charges that continued after the panel repair and described those months as avoidable expense. The administration said final invoices remain and recommended paying those outstanding invoices and canceling further monitoring.

A motion to approve payment of the remaining invoices and stop further monitoring carried on a roll‑call vote (5–0). Trustees asked staff to pursue lower‑cost alternatives such as camera monitoring and to identify a standard process for terminating emergency monitoring once systems are certified and no occupancy is allowed.