School Surveillance Buying Checklist (K-12 and Higher-Ed)

SCHOOL CHECKLIST

School Surveillance Buying Checklist

School camera proposals without lockdown integration and FERPA-aware access controls create operational gaps. This checklist walks through the 26 questions we work through on every district or campus proposal.

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Bottom Line

A school surveillance proposal is ready when you can answer yes to every question below. Lockdown integration, vestibule coverage, cafeteria/gym vandal-rated cameras, FERPA-aware access, and emergency-response mobile access are the priorities most often missed.

Our team runs this checklist on every education proposal.

Best For

  • K-12 administrators
  • District security directors
  • Higher-ed campus security
  • School board members

Not For

  • Daycare
  • Commercial office
  • Residential

School-Specific Priorities

Lockdown integration with alarm panel and door locks, vestibule check-in with 4K AI, cafeteria and gym vandal-rated cameras, bus loop and playground outdoor coverage, FERPA-aware access controls, mobile emergency response for SRO, parent footage-request workflow, and multi-school district federation.

The 26-Question School Surveillance Checklist

Walk through before approving any school or campus proposal.

Is lockdown integration specified?

VMS ties to alarm panel.

Is the main vestibule covered with 4K AI?

Visitor identification at check-in.

Is door-lock integration configured?

Forced-open alerts during lockdown.

Is SRO mobile access configured?

Real-time emergency response.

Are all building entries covered?

Main, service, side, athletic.

Are main corridors covered at 80-120 ft spacing?

No blind spots.

Is the cafeteria covered with vandal-rated cameras?

High-traffic student space.

Is the gymnasium covered?

Vandal-rated at perimeter plus fisheye for full-court.

Are locker-room corridors covered (not interiors)?

Privacy boundary.

Is the bus loop covered?

Daily bus ops documentation.

Is the playground perimeter covered?

Elementary school priority.

Are athletic fields covered (high school)?

Perimeter outdoor bullets.

Is parking lot covered with LPR?

Vehicle tracking for larger campuses.

Are stairwell landings covered?

Inter-floor movement.

Are bathrooms and locker-room interiors excluded?

Privacy law requirement.

Is FERPA-aware access control configured?

Individual accounts, minimum necessary.

Is retention aligned with district record policy?

30-60 days general; longer for incidents.

Is parent footage-request workflow documented?

FERPA response.

Is law-enforcement share capability specified?

Active-shooter emergency response.

Is multi-school district federation planned?

Enterprise VMS for 3+ schools.

Is PoE switch capacity right-sized?

Growth over time.

Is UPS coverage specified?

Power loss creates gaps.

Is cable-plant labor included?

Labor 30-40% of cost.

Is commissioning and training labor included?

Staff training on VMS.

Is cybersecurity baseline configured?

Passwords, certs, firmware.

Is post-install district-level support clear?

District-wide vendor partnership.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should I spend reviewing a school proposal?

4-6 hours for a standard K-8 school; half-day to full day for high school or multi-school district proposals.

What's the most-missed item in school proposals?

Lockdown integration specifics. Proposals often list cameras and NVR but skip the alarm-panel integration. This is the core feature that distinguishes school surveillance.

Do we need a dedicated VMS for lockdown?

Milestone XProtect and Genetec Security Center both support lockdown integration natively. Enterprise VMS is the right choice for 3+ schools or any district-level deployment.

How do parents access footage of their child?

Through a documented FERPA-compliant workflow: request received, identity verified, footage located, student-specific redaction if other students appear, release to parent.

What retention for school footage?

30-60 days general common area; incident-tied footage per district record policy, often 1-7 years.

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