Last modified: Friday, May 9, 2008 1:17 AM EDT Foxboro saying no to cameras on school buses BY FRANK MORTIMER SUN CHRONICLE STAFF FOXBORO - School officials are encouraging students and parents to report any incidents of bullying that may occur on school buses so that steps may be taken. But the school committee, following a recommendation by Business Administrator Paul Jackson, has rejected spending up to $20,000 at this time to install recording cameras on the buses as a disciplinary aid. "The problem does not seem to warrant overcorrection at the moment," school board member Beverley Lord said. While opposed to the high-tech attempt to deter abusive behavior on buses, Lord said that when offenders are caught, the school's response should be "very fair and very firm and swift - let justice roll." Board Chairman Larry Harrington said school bus travel is a privilege, not a right. Harrington and member Katie Adair raised the issue of bullying on school buses in the past, and the administration asked Jackson to look into the costs of installing and maintaining cameras to discourage misbehavior. He summarized a range of possible camera deployments and taping methods. Based on incident reports, bullying does not appear to be on the rise in the last few years and the problem, in his opinion, does not warrant spending $19,200 in tough fiscal times to install cameras on buses. Foxboro schools run 15 buses and four minibuses for students with special needs. Board member Martha Slattery asked who would be assigned to review hours of DVD recordings from the school buses to detect infractions. Jackson added that some forms of bullying would not even be picked up by a camera. One of the problems with bullying, officials said, is that the victims may be reluctant to report it. Harrington and Adair suggested surveying parents and students to get a better handle on the extent of the problem. Chris Martes, who is in his first year as school superintendent, said the district still has work to do to encourage victims to come forward.