The 5 Questions Your Board Will Ask About AI Surveillance

Question 1: What About Student Privacy?

This is always the first question. Board members want to know how AI video monitoring respects student privacy rights, complies with FERPA, and avoids creating a surveillance culture. The most effective response frameworks reference specific privacy controls: no facial recognition, no student tracking, alerts only for safety events, and data retention policies aligned with state requirements.

Question 2: How Much Does It Cost?

Present total cost of ownership over 3 years, not just the annual subscription. Compare to the cost of the status quo: security guard hours, incident response costs, insurance premiums, and liability exposure. The best presentations show a clear funding path using existing budget sources.

Question 3: Does It Actually Work?

Reference pilot data from your own district if available, or peer district results. Quantify: alert accuracy rates, response time improvements, incident reduction percentages. Board members respond to numbers, not marketing claims.

Question 4: What Are the Risks?

Acknowledge risks proactively: technology failure, community pushback, vendor viability. Then present mitigations for each. The strongest approach is to also present the risk of inaction — what happens if you don’t upgrade your security infrastructure.

Question 5: Why Now?

Connect the timing to specific triggers: expiring grant funding, a recent security assessment, peer district implementations, or incident trends. ‘Why now’ is really ‘why not later’ — show what the district loses by waiting.