Chico Unified | Campus cameras with facial recognition
Chico Unified's board approved a Verkada camera system for 691 locations, at about $2 million, on its consent calendar in December 2025, according to KRCR and ChicoSol, and voted unanimously in February 2026 not to activate the facial recognition feature.
At a glance
- Camera locations, per reporting
- 691 [1]
- Approval
- Consent calendar, 2025-12-17, per reporting [1]
- Facial recognition
- Board voted against activating it, 2026-02-18, per reporting [2]
- Installed as of February 2026
- None, per reporting [2]
- Vendor, per reporting
- Verkada, purchased through Riverside Technologies, Inc. [2]
How it happened
- Decision
Approved on the consent calendar
KRCR reported the cameras "reside in 691 locations in total across Chico's schools" and were approved when the board approved a consent calendar. [1]
- Decision
Board votes against facial recognition
ChicoSol reported the board "voted unanimously Feb. 18 against turning on the facial recognition feature of the cameras, none of which have been installed yet," and voted to create an oversight committee. NSPR reported the rollout of AI features was paused. [2] [3]
What was reported
KRCR reported that cameras “in 691 locations in total across Chico’s schools” were approved at a December 17, 2025 meeting “when the board approved a consent calendar,” the batch of items a board adopts in one vote.[1] ChicoSol reported that on February 18, 2026 the board “voted unanimously … against turning on the facial recognition feature of the cameras, none of which have been installed yet,” and voted to create an oversight committee.[2] North State Public Radio reported the rollout of AI features paused and the board directing a draft policy.[3]
What we have not read
The consent item, the vendor agreement, and the purchase order were not in the records our tools could fetch; the district’s board portal was not located on this pass. A records request is drafted. ChicoSol reported that the system was designed by Verkada and “purchased from Riverside Technologies, Inc.” and described it as “a $2 million security system”; North State Public Radio reported a purchase “for nearly $2 million in December.”[2][3]
Questions
- Will Chico schools use facial recognition?
- ChicoSol reported the board voted unanimously on February 18, 2026 against turning on the feature. Whether the cameras have been installed since is not in a record we fetched. [2]
- How was the system approved?
- KRCR reported it was approved at a December 17, 2025 meeting when the board approved a consent calendar, the batch of items a board adopts in one vote. [1]
What we do not know
- The December 2025 consent item, the vendor agreement and its data terms.
- The camera count by school and the installation status.
- The May 2026 vote reported to limit the system to vehicle recognition.
What you can do
Show up
Systems like this one are approved by boards, councils and committees that meet in public. We have not yet confirmed where each of them meets in Butte County.
What we have documented in Butte County →Protect yourself
Practical steps to shrink your personal data trail. Our guides publish at launch; until then, EFF's Surveillance Self-Defense is the best starting point.
Surveillance Self-Defense →Sources
- 1. KRCR, "CUSD approval of AI cameras still a concern for parents" · News · · accessed · archived copy
- 2. ChicoSol, "CUSD board bans facial recognition" · News · · accessed · archived copy
- 3.
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