Milton’s responsibilities aside from educating their students are to ensure they are protected.
Here are some of the updates Milton has already recently made to meet these standards.
According to Assistant Principal Mr. Max Campbell, there are 250 cameras all monitoring every square inch of the building excluding locker rooms and restrooms.
Mr. Campbell said these cameras assist staff in investigations and administering fair student discipline through incriminating footage.
Along with this, administrators can use camera footage to keep a record of accidents in school sponsored events as well as any altercations in the student parking lot, Mr. Campbell added.
“We also look out for the little things like finding lost items of a student or member of faculty,” said Mr. Campbell.
Along with these cameras, all school exits and entrances have been equipped with alarms which alert the secretary’s office if they are left open for too long, Mr. Campbell added.
“If anybody leaves or enters the building without our knowledge or permission, we will find out about it to ensure our security,” said Mr. Campbell.
To ensure safe transportation, Milton’s Assistant Business Administrator Mr. Darren Tull explained that this summer alone, $26,321.30 was spent on upgrading bus and van surveillance via camera and radio systems.
According to Mr. Tull, when he had started his job at Milton in 2022, he took quick notice of the faulty camera equipment and inconsistent radio feedback between transportation and building offices.
Mr Tull said that the start of these updates began in the 2021-22 school year by switching to a new radio provider and upgrading the communication equipment for buses and vans.
“The safety of our students is my number one priority. Communication is a massive part of that,” Mr. Tull added.
According to Mr. Tull, from 2022 to 2026, all bus cameras have been updated to pick up better sound and surveillance quality.
“Driving a bus is a very difficult job, and drivers cannot always see everything that happens. Having the video helps principals to assist with issues on the bus so everyone can have a safe, enjoyable ride home,” Mr. Tull explained.
Mr. Tull added along with these updates, vans for the first time ever have been properly equipped with their own cameras to ensure the same quality security is being administered to all school transportation.
According to Mr. Campbell, vape detectors to have been updated to now immediately alert administrators’ phones as well as the office secretary if they detect any activity.
Though no specific details can be disclosed regarding the number of students impacted by this, Mr. Campbell explained that the detectors continue to work “very effectively”.
According to a previous article published by the Panther Press, punishment for students caught in possession of vapes include suspension for a first offense. Second or third offenses will be treated with a multi-day disciplinary course led by nurse and school officers on the serious dangers of vaping. Any additional offenses may lead to an immediate expulsion.
According to Mr. Campbell, to protect students’ digitally and monitor their wellbeing, Linewise Connect software has been installed on all school issued laptops.
“It is important for these systems of surveillance not only to cover all areas of the school but for us (office staff) to be monitoring them regularly so we can protect our students,” said Mr. Campbell.
