Board weighs move to Gaggle monitoring software as committee cites safety and legal obligations

The Berkeley Heights Board of Education discussed staff recommendations to replace the district’s discontinued Securely Aware student‑monitoring tool with Gaggle Safety Management, a paid service that provides 24/7 human review and an escalation pathway for urgent safety alerts.

District staff and the technology committee told the board that Securely Aware’s free version will be discontinued on June 30, 2026, leaving the district without after‑hours monitoring. "Gaggle provides a multi‑layer escalation process with 24/7 human review of all alerts," the committee summary read, adding that the vendor’s model includes phone call escalations for urgent situations and follow‑up notifications for the district. Miss Nicholson read the committee notes and cited a one‑time setup of $3,000 and an annual subscription of $17,500.

Why it matters: Staff framed Gaggle as a compliance and student‑safety measure. Committee members said automated email alerts from the free tool created a high volume of false positives and lacked after‑hours coverage. "Securely’s free version had significant limitations — high false positives, email‑only alerts and no after‑hours coverage," the technology report said, and argued a human‑review layer would reduce the burden on district staff.

Board members probed how Gaggle handles context and false positives in classroom assignments, the training of the company’s human reviewers, and procedures for contacting parents or law enforcement. Dr. Feltry, speaking for administration, said the system looks for safety triggers such as self‑harm or threats to the school community and that human reviewers prioritize and escalate high‑risk events.

Public comment and concerns: An online commenter, John McQuez, questioned whether state or federal law requires 24/7 monitoring and urged the board to produce independent research on the programs’ effectiveness and civil‑liberties impacts. "We're putting these things in schools, guys, with kids without a real discussion," McQuez said, warning of increased law‑enforcement contacts and disproportionate impacts on students who rely on district devices.

What the board will do next: Technology staff said they selected Gaggle after evaluating alternatives and because Gaggle offers continuous monitoring and human review; the committee recommended implementation effective July 1 if a replacement is not in place. Board members requested additional staff training and clearer public communication about what will be monitored, escalation protocols and privacy safeguards.

The meeting did not include a detailed written contract in the public record; committee notes show the district is still finalizing vendor details. The board also asked administration to provide the research and committee deliberations referenced in the recommendation so members and the public can review the evidence and implementation plans.

The meeting moved on to other agenda items; public commenters later reiterated privacy and civil‑liberties concerns about continuous monitoring.