What is a school visitor management system and how does it work?
A school visitor management system is a digital solution designed to help schools know exactly who is on campus at any given time, enhancing safety and security. It works by requiring all visitors—such as parents, contractors, and volunteers—to check in upon arrival, typically by scanning a government-issued ID or entering their information into a kiosk or tablet.
The system instantly screens visitor information against national sex offender registries and any custom watchlists or banned visitor lists set by the school. If a visitor is flagged as a potential risk, school officials are immediately alerted.
Why is a visitor management system important in schools?
- Enhances Campus Security: Screens all visitors against sex offender registries and custom watchlists, helping prevent unauthorized or high-risk individuals from entering the school.
- Provides Real-Time Visibility: Allows staff to instantly know who is on campus at any given time, improving situational awareness and accountability.
- Streamlines Check-In Process: Automates and simplifies visitor sign-in, reducing administrative workload and eliminating paper logs.
- Supports Emergency Response: Enables quick accounting for all visitors during emergencies and assists with reunification procedures.
- Helps Ensure Student Safety: Syncs with student information systems to ensure students are only released to approved guardians.
- Generates Accurate Records: Maintains detailed logs of all campus visitors for compliance, reporting, and investigative purposes.
- Improves Operational Efficiency: Reduces confusion and wait times for visitors, creating a more welcoming and organized school environment.
How does the Raptor Visitor Management System work?
What type(s) of screenings does Raptor Visitor Management offer?
Raptor® VisitorSafe™ uses the visitor’s first name, last name, and date of birth that is captured with the ID scan to check only against:
- Registered sex offender databases in all 50 U.S. states.
- Any alerts from custom databases set up by the school or district containing information, including custody orders, expelled students, dismissed school or district employees, etc.
How can schools handle undocumented persons who visit schools?
- If a visitor has no scannable form of ID, the Raptor system allows for the manual entry of information (first name, last name, and date of birth) for screening purposes.
- Only the minimum data needed to accurately identify an entrant is collected (i.e., no address information, no social security number, no physical characteristics data—hair color, eye color, weight—is ever captured). No other data is collected from the ID, and a photocopy of the ID is not retained.
What elements of Raptor VisitorSafe are configurable?
Raptor VisitorSafe offers several configurable elements to meet the unique needs of each school. Key configurable features include:
- Customizable Workflows: Schools can tailor the check-in and check-out process for different visitor types, such as parents, contractors, volunteers, and community members.
- Custom Watchlists: Administrators can create and manage their own watchlists for individuals who should not be allowed on campus, in addition to standard sex offender screening.
- Visitor Badges: The information displayed on printed visitor badges, such as name, photo, and reason for visit, can be customized.
- Notification Settings: Alerts and notifications (such as when a flagged individual attempts to check in) can be configured to go to specific staff members or security personnel.
- Event Management: For school events, workflows and safety protocols can be adjusted based on the type and size of the event.
- Student Tardiness: Schools can configure the reasons for tardiness and set thresholds for allowable tardiness.
- Student Release Rules: Schools can set rules for who is authorized to pick up students, ensuring only approved guardians are allowed.
These configurable options allow Raptor VisitorSafe to adapt to the policies, safety requirements, and operational preferences of each school or district.
How is visitor data used, stored, and protected?
- The Raptor system collects the name, date of birth, and the last four digits of the license number. Additionally, the camera image captured will be stored for printing. If two or more visitors have the same first name, last name, and date of birth, Raptor uses the last four digits of the license number to differentiate between them. Only the minimum data needed to accurately identify an entrant is collected (i.e., no address information, no Social Security numbers, no physical characteristic data, etc.). No other data is collected from the ID and no photocopy of the ID is retained.
- Additional data can be imported into the Raptor system and stored similarly to visitor data, such as student and staff directory data including the name, student ID number, and grade level of the student. No student record data is imported (i.e., no test scores, no home address, etc.).
- The data is used to ensure that the district/school maintains a log of all visitors and other entry data through the front office.
- The Raptor IT security services prevent account penetration by hackers and identity thieves; ensure two-way data encryption both at rest and in transit; conduct annual system security audits; and continuously monitor logins, system usage patterns, and usage frequency. Accounts and information are protected behind multiple safeguards. Raptor comprehensively monitors, tests, and ensures that the data is secured against potential threats.
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