When students at Port Townsend High School and Blue Heron School return to classes in September, they won’t just sit down for a few minutes for their annual school photo. They will be under the scrutiny of security cameras all year long.

On July 17, the Port Townsend School Board unanimously approved a $151,399 bid from Double D Electrical of Port Hadlock to install 49 cameras at Blue Heron and 68 cameras at Port Townsend High School.

The security system is part of a campaign promise of sorts. It was included on the $4.7 million capital levy approved by voters in February 2012.

An original estimate of a system five years ago was $66,000. Superintendent John Polm noted that figure was a “generic estimate” at the time and that the actual cost ended up being quite a bit more. Turns out, a lot more – more than double.

Polm said the district’s investment in the system is intended to improve both staff and student safety, and that the system is not an off-the-shelf product that anyone can purchase at any big-box store. Investing in a quality system rather than a flimsy one does make sense.

Security cameras are everywhere these days. Since 9/11, the security business has been booming.

But in Port Townsend schools, the issue is no doubt less about safety and bullying than it is about vandalism of school property.

All that said, the approval of the security cameras was done quickly by the school board with little notice of the agenda for the meeting that night – The Leader didn’t get notice of the agenda until that morning – and there was little discussion by the board on the potential cons of a security system.

So, are there any cons?

How do students feel? How do parents feel about it? Were they asked?

In Moses Lake, Washington, where one of the first school shootings took place in 1996, security systems were installed not only in the schools but on the school buses. And guess what: There is still bullying, still issues with violence. Perhaps the impact of the presence of security cameras has waned over the years?

While a security system was promised in the bond campaign and is now being delivered, here is the reality check: The cameras might give

bullies pause, but they won’t stop bullying. The cameras won’t stop kids from sneaking off campus to smoke. And they probably won’t stop vandalism, just move it elsewhere.

Security cameras are tools, nothing more, nothing less.

It will be interesting to see how they are used.

– Allison Arthur