Grayslake schools OK bid for cameras

Students will have a few more watchful eyes on them in two buildings at Grayslake Elementary District 46.

District 46 board members agreed Monday night to have cameras installed in the hallways at Frederick and Grayslake Middle schools. Each building will have 20 to 30 cameras, Superintendent Ellen Correll said.

Phoenix Business Solutions was deemed the lowest responsible bidder and was selected to install the cameras for $49,850. Phoenix was one of nine companies to submit bids for the job, with the highest price quoted at $110,291.

I'm very pleased with the cost," Correll said. We thought it would be a lot more."

Officials said the decision to pursue the hallway cameras was the result of bomb threats that were written on bathroom walls at two District 46 buildings during the last academic year.

In April, authorities charged a 14-year-old boy with felony disorderly conduct for a threat he was accused of making at Grayslake Middle School. That same month, a 10-year-old boy was detained by Grayslake police on accusations he wrote a threat on a bathroom mirror at Frederick School.

Correll said Phoenix Business Solutions was prepared to launch the camera installation as soon as it received District 46 board approval. She said the company is expected to work on weekends and after school.

Another security measure was approved for Frederick School last month. Grayslake Elementary board members approved spending $21,550 for installation of new lights in the school's parking lot, in part because of safety concerns about a lack on illumination around the perimeter.

Nearby Woodland Elementary District 50 in Gurnee has had all buildings outfitted with cameras that focus on hallways and other areas where an adult might not be present.