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Eau Claire Schools Using New Security System

In the News

This article originally appeared on WQOW 18 News. To view the original article, click here.

EAU CLAIRE (WQOW) – A new security system is being used at all Eau Claire Area School District (ECASD) schools this fall. Safety and security manager Brian Marks said it enables staff to know exactly who is inside school buildings at all times.

“With the amount of school violence that takes place, this really is the first step in knowing who is in your buildings, and being able to control the flow of that person if you need to, and to account for them,” Marks explained.

The system is contracted through Raptor Technologies, a school software and services company based in Houston. Implementing the system began over the summer, with an initial price tag of $43,000 and a reoccurring cost of $11,000 a year.

ECASD staff said the initial reception has been almost entirely positive.

“We’ve only had one person who was a little upset that they had to go back out to their car to get their ID,” Marks said.

ID scan is only necessary on the first visit. When the ID is scanned, the Raptor system automatically checks the sex-offender registry and provides employees quick information on any parental restrictions or custody issues. Staff said this helps to ensure proper protocols are followed and a uniform screening process is applied.

“There is a time savings in all of this,” Marks said. “We no longer have to take a hard piece of paper scan it in and send it to this person who will print it off. It will be an electronic version of that and will save us both time and money.”

The district will be using the visitor management part of the system at the beginning of the year, but plans to phase in an emergency management module during the year, which will help automate emergency drills and reports. Should an emergency situation arise, Marks said teachers would be able to take accountability of students almost instantly using an app on their phone, helping streamline accountability and identifying if anyone is still in danger.

“[It provides] some peace of mind, that we know who is in the building, and should something happen, we know that we are going to account for them, without having a Long time to wait for it,” Marks added. “That’s going to be the most important part.”

In an email to ECASD families, Marks also offered the following frequently asked questions and answers:

  • Why is the ECASD using the RAPTOR SYSTEM?
    The safety of our students, staff, and visitors is our highest priority. Raptor will provide a consistent system to track visitors and volunteers while keeping away people who may present a danger to students and staff. The system quickly prints visitor badges that include a photo, name, time, and date of the visitor.
  • How does it work
    Driver’s license information is compared to a database that consists of registered sex offenders from all 50 states. If a match is found, the school administration is notified and can have a conversation with the person and/or take proper action.
  • What information is the school taking from my driver’s license?
    Raptor is only scanning the visitor’s name, date of birth, partial license number, and photo for comparison with a national database of registered sex offenders. Additional visitor data will not be gathered, and no data will be shared with any outside company or organization.
  • Will I have to leave my ID at the school office
    No, visitors will receive their ID back once they have a visitor badge printed.
  • Do I need to sign out when leaving a school building?
    Yes. Visitors must return their visitor badge when leaving. This will allow staff to check them out of the system.
  • What if I do not have my ID with me?
    If you forgot your ID or do not have one you can still enter the schools. You will be asked for your name and date of birth and that information will be used to compare it to the database. With no positive match you will be printed a name tag and allowed into the school.
  • Will I have to be logged into RAPTOR if I am just dropping something off for my student?
    No, not if you are just at the school to drop off items or pick items up. RAPTOR will only be used if you are staying in the building.