Frederick County Public Schools in Maryland will launch a classroom camera pilot in January. These cameras will be posted in specialized program classrooms in a handful of schools.
In a statement, the school district said the move was part of its ongoing commitment to safe, positive, and high-quality learning environments.
The pilot, which starts on Jan. 20, 2026, will run through the end of the school year and is aimed at improving safety and transparency in classrooms that serve students with significant disabilities.
The cameras will record video only — not audio — and will be installed in just seven classrooms across three schools.
The classrooms are located at:
- Middletown Primary School (four Expressions classrooms)
- Oakdale Middle School (two Learning for Life classrooms)
- Catoctin High School (one Learning for Life classroom)
According to the school system, the selected classrooms serve some of the district’s most vulnerable students, including children with complicated communication needs or language-based disabilities who may have problems describing issues they experience at school.
School officials said that the cameras are not meant to monitor or discipline students or staff. Instead, the goal is to support student and staff safety and ensure specialized programs are being delivered as intended, according to the school system’s statement.
FCPS already uses cameras in hallways, on school buses and around school buildings. The classroom pilot, officials said, is meant to help determine whether similar technology makes sense in certain classroom settings before considering any broader use.
The project is being funded by a grant and was developed with input from the district’s three labor unions, as well as approval from the Board of Education and the school system’s superintendent, Cheryl Dyson.
Families with children in the affected classrooms have received detailed information about how the cameras will be used. Video access will be tightly restricted, recordings will be stored on a secure internal network and requests to view footage must meet specific requirements under district policy.
Dyson said the district plans to keep families informed as the pilot moves forward, according to the statement.
“FCPS values its partnership with families and remains committed to transparency as we explore tools that may enhance student and staff safety and support the learning experience,” Dyson said.
District officials said there are no immediate plans to expand classroom cameras beyond the pilot program.
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