Superintendent proposes regulation for private photographers, citing privacy and insurance

The superintendent told the board the district has been receiving repeated requests from families to hire private photographers and videographers to work on school property. To provide clarity and protect student privacy, staff proposed a superintendent regulation attached to the student records policy that would require contractors to meet insurance requirements and adhere to opt‑out protections for non‑consenting students.

"We felt like we were getting enough inquiries that it made sense to outline this and attach it to the student records policy because it's really connected to opt‑out provisions and student rights," Dr. Ackerman said. Staff added the regulation will help protect against people attempting to profit from photography on district property and will streamline approvals that have previously been handled case by case.

Board members and parents asked practical questions about recruiting videos and athletics: whether athletes must have media releases, how bleacher filming is treated, and what enforcement looks like when one student has opted out. Staff said there is an opt‑out provision, that the district will require insurance and contract information for vendors, and that filming from the public bleachers cannot be prevented but paid contractors filming on campus would trigger the regulation.

The regulation is posted on the district website for review and staff invited written feedback to the policy committee before any further action.