County Commissioners hold a heated debate regarding AI School Safety funds
The Davidson County Board of Commissioners meeting on Monday ended abruptly after a heated exchange over a proposed pilot program to use artificial intelligence (AI) to improve school safety.
Much of the discussion between the county commissioners and the school board concerned how effective these AI systems are, how much would it cost to use in the future and whether it was worth the cost to implement the program in the first place.
Several members of the community spoke out against the proposed AI School Safety program, stating it was government overreach and subjected students to oppressive surveillance.
Following a three-hour discussion, which was confrontational at times, Davidson County school board chairman Nick Jarvis responded hotly to an accusation from a resident who alleged that the school board doesn’t care about the wishes of parents.
Davidson County Schools is one of two school districts in North Carolina that awarded state funding to create a pilot program that would integrate AI technology into existing cameras and video systems to detect security threats and emergencies, including intruders on campus or to identify potential weapons.
The $2 million grant is part of a disaster relief bill passed by the General Assembly at the end of 2024. New Hanover County was also allocated $3.2 million to create an AI School Safety Program for the next two years.
According to the legislation, AI technology can be used to “tag” a threat and follow their movements while alerting school leadership and law enforcement. It can also be used to detect smoke, medical emergencies or conflicts between students. Following the exchange between Jarvis and the citizen, the commissioners went into closed session without coming to a decision on whether to agree to a memorandum of understanding with the school district.
“To me it’s all about getting it right,” said county commissioner chairman Todd Yates. “At the end of the day, we want to make sure that we put in the best system in the schools that we can do.”
He reiterated that the county commissioners do not have the authority to tell Davidson County Schools how to spend its grant, but wished to see collaboration between the two boards. “We don’t make a decision for the school board, but we would like to work with them because…school safety is important to everyone,” he said.
The MOU was to clarify that the county would not be responsible for any cost for the AI School Safety program along with spending. Despite the abrupt ending, the grant was allocated specifically to the school district and does not require approval or acceptance by the county commissioners.
