Liberty County schools are about to start the final phase of upgrading its school cameras.
Board members have approved a bid from ByteSpeed/Entre Solutions to replace analog cameras at six sites and install digital cameras for a total price of $359,000.
Existing images on the system’s analog security cameras are not as sharp, school system officials pointed out. Those analog cameras also have limited features and storage capacity.
The new cameras could be in place by August.
The digital cameras have the ability to provide 360- degree fields of view, facial recognition, night vision, motion detection, and automatic lens adjustment.
Funding for the new cameras will come from the education special local option sales tax.
School board members also are using ESPLOST proceeds to replace interactive panels throughout the system.
As part of its normal five-year technology refresh program, 621 new interactive panels will be installed at the Pre-K Center, all elementary schools, all middle schools, the Liberty College and Career Academy and the school board district office.
Howard Technologies was awarded a bid of $1.8 million that includes a seven-year warranty and removal of the old panels.
Also on tap via ESPLOST are renovations this summer to Joseph Martin and Liberty elementary schools. According to school system officials, the original interior fixtures at Joseph Martin and Liberty have exceeded their service lives.
The renovations have been approved by the state Department of Education and the work, for both schools, includes painting interior walls, upgrading restrooms, changing fluorescent lighting to LED lighting, and replacing existing flooring, ceiling tiles, window blinds and thermal insulation throughout. Joseph Martin also will get a new fire alarm system.
Work at Liberty Elementary is expected to cost around $3.5 million and is to cost $3.26 million at Joseph Martin. ESPLOST proceeds will be used to fund the renovations, which are expected to be completed before the start of the 2023-24 school year.
School board officials also are looking at replacing the playground equipment at Joseph Martin Elementary, at a projected cost of $82,735. The equipment, which is the original playground equipment, has passed its life expectancy.
The school system plans to buy the new playground equipment from GameTime through a U.S. Communities contract. GameTime will remove the old equipment and set up the new playground equipment, which will have a lifetime warranty on all hardware and a five-year warranty on components.