COLLIER TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Chartiers Valley School District has unveiled a major investment in campus safety, powered by artificial intelligence and advanced mapping technology, ahead of the upcoming school year.
The district has installed 514 AI-enhanced security cameras designed to detect and alert administrators if someone enters restricted areas.
“If we know some area is off-limits, we draw a line in the system and anyone crosses that line, it’s going to automatically send an alert to the principals, the SROs,” said Marc Hubert, the district’s safety and security coordinator.
The new system is aimed at improving emergency response time and cutting down on the need to manually review hours of video footage.
In addition to surveillance, staff ID badges now include access control, limiting which doors employees can use throughout the day so the district has a better idea of who is coming and going. Alerts are sent to administrators and security personnel anytime a door is opened — allowing for immediate investigation.
These changes come after a teen was charged with making threats to the district last year, prompting a comprehensive review of existing protocols.
“We had a few incidents in the fall that exposed some problems with our current protocols and safety procedures,” said Dr. Michael Sable, assistant superintendent.
Security measures now also include armed and unarmed officers at every school campus entrance and wearable emergency badges for staff that can connect directly to emergency services.
The district has also partnered with a company to implement a new mapping system connected directly to 911 dispatch. The technology gives first responders access to building layouts, floor-level data and recommended points of entry.
“If a staff member activates an alarm, it’s going to pop up on that CRG map where they are,” Hubert said. “911 can see where the incident is happening and can even differentiate what floor you are on.”
The upgrades represent a more than a million-dollar investment, which district leaders said is well worth the cost.
“When you know you have weaknesses in your campus safety plan, no one is going to say the cost is too much,” said Superintendent Dr. Daniel Castagna. “I think parents are going to be really happy to know we did everything we can to make their child safe in a proactive way.”
Castagna plans to present a full overview of the upgrades at the next school board meeting on August 12th.
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