A new law enacted in Texas says school districts must install cameras in special-education classrooms if parents, teachers or school staffers request them
The law also requires that parents be allowed to view the videos.
The Dallas Morning News reports that district administrators are concerned that the law will require schools to spend millions with no additional resources from the state.
But proponents of the law say the need to protect special-education students, who are often unable to communicate clearly about what they have experienced, has gone unaddressed for too long.
The requirement takes effect in Texas in the 2016-17 school year.
An advocacy group, Cameras in Special Needs Classrooms, was among the proponents of the legislation. Its Facebook page has more than 22,000 "likes."
"It's for the safety of the children who can't go home and tell their parents how their day was," the group says. "It's for the teachers who are [wrongfully] accused of assault."
Video from Cameras in Special Needs Classrooms:
