By Luming Yuan

Originally published on October 9, 2015

Students walked into school on the first day back from summer break and inevitably noticed little black cameras staring down from the ceilings of hallways and stairwells.

A week before, the photography teacher had walked into his classroom on his first day back and was surprised to realize that all of his newer iMacs were nowhere to be seen.

The camera installation project cost a total of $566,043.

Later, the drama teacher was looking through the Steve Silver Theater and realized that a lightboard and soundboard were missing.

To prevent incidents like these, over 100 surveillance cameras were installed over the summer, according to Holly Giles, assistant principal of buildings and grounds. However, the cameras did not go live until Aug. 17, so no footage pertaining to the incidents was caught.

Photography and architecture teacher Julian Pollak’s classroom, Room 76, was missing the twelve new Apple iMac computers, estimated at $24,000. He said that he first discovered the incident on Aug. 11 and dean Ivan Yee filed a police report for it that afternoon. It is unclear when the computers, installed near the end of the 2014–15 school year, were taken from the room.

The soundboard, worth $600, and lightboard, worth $1,500, were found missing from Room 110 toward the end of the Aug. 17 school week, according to drama teacher Teresa Bookwalter. Likewise, it is uncertain when the equipment was taken from the theater.

Giles was unable to say whether the items were insured against theft.

“We could probably have saved hundreds and thousands of dollars if we had the security cameras earlier.”

The camera installation project was funded by the school district, according to principal Andrew Ishibashi. It cost a total of $566,043, according to Peter Vorametsanti, the senior project manager from Swinerton Builders, who oversees the construction projects at the school. He said that the price meets the industry standard, and is normal for a school the size of Lowell.

Ishibashi said he has been advocating for security cameras for the past nine years, ever since he became principal. Last year, a library break-in cost the school three iMacs. “There have been break-ins, vandalism and pranks over the years,” Ishibashi said. “We could probably have saved hundreds and thousands of dollars if we had the security cameras earlier. We also could have caught the person who stole items from the art department.”

The cameras are on surveillance twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week and are located throughout the school, besides the bathrooms and locker rooms. The footage will be used to ensure the security of the building as well as the safety of students, according to Giles. This means that inappropriate student behavior caught on camera will be investigated. Currently, the footage caught on security cameras can be seen in Ishibashi’s office as well as the main office on television screens.

“That someone would steal computers from a school classroom and jeopardize student learning for personal financial gain is difficult to understand.”

The computers from the photography room were locked down with security cables prior to their disappearance, according to Pollak. He said that the police reported no signs of forced entry in their inspection. In addition, out of the classroom’s assortment of old and new computers, only the newest iMac computers were taken.

Pollak expressed dismay at the missing computers. “That someone would steal computers from a school classroom and jeopardize student learning for personal financial gain is difficult to understand,” he said.

The theft of the new computers leaves the computer lab with an insufficient number of workstations, and these older computers are inadequate for the digital editing and computer-aided design software students require, Pollak said.

To compensate for the missing computers, Pollak reclaimed old computers that he had previously given to the school for tech redistribution. He hopes that his equipment will be replaced as soon as possible.

Theater Tech teacher Kyla Morris said that she hopes the newly installed security cameras can prevent future incidents like the loss of the light board and sound board. “The situation is upsetting, especially because I think the theater is such a big part of our community,” Morris said. “This is something you never want to happen.”

The cameras are on surveillance twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week and are located throughout the school.

Bookwalter and Morris are taking measures to prevent future incidents in the theater. Bookwalter said that prior to the missing equipment, there was only one board cover with a lock, but they are now in the process of designing another lock so that both the lightboard and soundboards can be secure in the future.

Bookwalter also expressed the inconvenience of teaching with the equipment missing. So far, the most direct effect has been the lack of lighting for advanced drama improvisations, according to Bookwalter. If they are not replaced later on, they may impact one-act plays and other theater events.

The school has not received news from the District Office on whether or not any of the missing equipment will be replaced, according to Giles.