LANDIS — When more than 1,500 students return to South Rowan High School, they may glance past the tiny black domes adorning ceilings.
The inconspicuous cameras are part of a new $30,000 surveillance system at Rowan County’s largest school. Four teachers have spent about three weeks installing the 32 devices — and almost 3 miles of cable connecting the cameras throughout campus.
“This is not a system to catch kids so much as a way to protect them,” said history teacher Jim Pope, who was helping adjust one of two cameras in the cafeteria Tuesday afternoon.
“We don’t want students to see us as their enemy, but as their friend. We want to protect their property and prevent intruders,” Principal Dr. Alan King added.
The system will record activity continuously for up to two weeks on each of the cameras. That will help staff monitor halls and parking lots during the day and in the evening and on weekends, when vandalism can occur. At a school with 14 separate entrances, the system also will help deter unwelcome guests, King said.
Staff can watch activity on two multi-screen monitors, which together can show views of the school from every camera simultaneously.
Technology teacher Keith Sutton said that the wiring to the surveillance system is completely hidden. “All of the cable is covered. Nothing is exposed anywhere.”
Staff decided to take on the project when bids from several companies came in higher than expected.
Dwayne Fink and Wanda Corriher were part of the team, too.
“The teachers did this out of motivation for the school, not for personal recognition,” Sutton said.
By hosting a seafood cookout at the school earlier this year, supporters raised about $11,000 toward the project. Volunteers from St. Peter’s Lutheran Church steamed shrimp, brewed oyster stew and fried flounder, potatoes and hush puppies. About 20 students set up and served the food in the cafeteria.
County commissioners gave another $10,000; the rest came from school parking permits and various sales.
The system is the third now in use in Rowan-Salisbury Schools. A new $23,000 camera network at North Rowan Middle School allows staff to monitor halls, the entrance and the parking lot from video terminals in the front offices.
Salisbury High School has eight outdoor cameras, six more on the school’s first floor and five each on the second and third floors.
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