Security cameras installed without knowledge of students, school board

Several hidden security cameras hung for months in the halls of Newton South High School in Newton, Mass., not yet operational and apparently undetected, until reporters for the school's student newspaper started asking questions. Now the School Committee and teachers' union say they want an explanation, and the superintendent is promising to be more forthcoming about the new security tactic before activating the cameras. The district spent $12,000 out of its general maintenance budget to install the cameras at the end of the summer outside of locker rooms and bathrooms. The School Committee was not asked to sign off on the specific purchase.