No immediate action is planned on the potential implementation of audio and video monitoring in classrooms in Lehighton Area School District following a community member’s request Monday night.

District resident Roy James pitched the idea during the public comment portion of Lehighton’s board meeting saying it would “aim to ensure that students are not exposed to harmful political ideologies or inappropriate content.”

Board members, however, questioned the financial feasibility and privacy implications of such a system.

“In this time, with a lot of publicity about other school districts and damaging teaching, it’s important to make sure our kids aren’t being taught to hate each other based on skin color or other harmful ideologies,” James told the board.

Directors acknowledged the concerns but highlighted the substantial financial burden such a system would impose.

With at least 140 classrooms in the district, the estimated cost would rise into the millions, board member Barbara Bowes said.

“I just don’t think it’s feasible right now,” she said. “It would also have to be negotiated into the teachers’ union contract.”

Beyond financial constraints, privacy issues were a major point of contention.

“The district currently has to get permission from parents to photograph students so there would be some concerns on that end,” acting superintendent Jack Corby said.

Director Joy Beers said the idea should not be dismissed based on cost alone.

“Let’s not evade the issue by trying to make it sound financially impossible,” Beers said. “If this was something that just parents could access, I could be in favor of that but I would not want the general public to be able to watch a teacher.”

Lehighton has existing policies that allow parents to visit classrooms under certain conditions. However, the idea of expanding this access to constant surveillance was met with skepticism.

“Teachers might use examples to make points that could be misread by parents,” Jeremy Glaush, board president, said. “Our teachers are very courteous and professional, but it just takes a misunderstanding for someone to try to get them in trouble. It’s a fine line we have to walk.”

Glaush said he doesn’t think Lehighton teachers are trying to impose personal viewpoints on students.

“We don’t know that,” director Sean Gleaves responded.

James suggested looking at charter schools in Pennsylvania that have implemented similar systems.

“(Charter schools) don’t always play by the same set of rules,” Corby told him.