The initiative is an outgrowth of the success demonstrated by the initial webcam, which was installed and is being maintained by Hall Construction Co. at the Martin Luther King/Jefferson School site in Trenton.

The online images began being transmitted on April 14 from a solar-powered webcam obtained by Hall from the Atlanta-based Oxblue Corporation. The Authority is collaborating with Hall, which is providing the camera at no cost to the SDA, to inform the public of the images’ availability. Hall was awarded the construction contract for MLK/Jefferson in November 2007 to restart the project following its delay by soil issues.

By clicking http://oxblue.com/pro/open/hallgc/jeffersonschool, school districts, the community and the public at large can view progress at MLK/Jefferson. A button at the top labeled "Time Lapse" allows for rapid views of the progression of work from April 14 to date. Individuals can also click on a calendar at the left to select what date they wish to view, or use arrow buttons to scroll through images on a day-to-day basis. The site provides buttons to print or e-mail images. Images can be downloaded and copied to a DVD.

"Transparency is a core value at the SDA," said Scott Weiner, CEO of the Authority. "We feel the general public should have the opportunity to easily observe the work that their tax dollars are paying for. At the same time, the SDA only benefits when understanding of our work and our mission is enhanced."

The SDA is evaluating cost and feasibility to determine at which projects webcams should be installed. Poles would be erected near construction trailers at the work sites for equipment mounting.

Webcam views will be available in the Visit My School section of the SDA web site.

Under SDA direction, Hall is building a new 118,884-square-foot, two-story building that will accommodate an anticipated student enrollment of 727 students in grades Pre-K through 8. The school is scheduled to open in September 2010.

Overall, the Authority has completed 41 schools, 37 major renovations and additions, and nearly 400 health, safety and other projects in SDA Districts (formerly classified as Abbott Districts). The Authority has 26 active projects in SDA Districts.