On Monday, October 4, 2021, Southeast Polk CSD will be implementing a new visitor management process at each of our school buildings. The procedure will enable each school building to screen all visitors against serious offender registries in all 50 states and establish a consistent sign-in process across the district.
The visitor registration system, called Raptor, will help track who is in every school building at all times, which is a critical part of keeping our students and staff safe. The system reads a visitor’s driver’s license or other approved identification and compares information to a database of serious offenders (sex offenders, etc.). The system alerts building administrators if a match is found or prints a visitor’s sticker badge if no match is found. The sticker badge will identify the person as an approved visitor and include the date, time, and a picture of the visitor.
Visitors will check-in at the main office/front entrance upon arriving and present a valid state-issued ID.
The office staff will scan the ID through the Raptor system, which only pulls the visitor’s name, date of birth, and photo for comparison with a national database of serious offenders (sex offenders, etc.). No other personal identifying information is saved.
If no match is found, the system will print a visitor’s sticker.
The visitor must wear the sticker during their visit and it must be visible. These badges must be worn at all times while on the school grounds. School personnel have been directed to escort anyone not wearing a badge to the office. Visitors must check-in and receive a visitor badge each time they visit.
The self-expiring sticker will identify the person as an approved visitor and include the date and time and a picture of the visitor.
Visitors will need to check out at the main office prior to leaving. Visitor badges will be collected, and office staff will destroy the badges so they cannot be reused.
Children who do not have a valid ID may be allowed to visit as long as they are accompanied at all times by an adult who has completed the ID process and been issued a badge.
Do I need my ID if I’m just dropping off or picking up an item at the office? A visitor’s sticker will not be necessary for those who visit our schools simply to drop off/pick up an item in the school office.
Will Raptor Be Used for School-Sponsored Events in the Evening or on Weekends? No. Raptor will only be used during school hours (and those times will vary based on each school’s start/end time).
How does the system work? Driver’s license information is compared to a database that consists of serious offenders (sex offenders, etc.) from all 50 states. If a match is found, district administrators and law enforcement personnel can take appropriate steps to keep the school/site safe.
What other information is the school taking from the driver’s license? The electronic visitor check-in system only scans the visitor’s name, date of birth, and photo for comparison with a national database of serious offenders (sex offenders, etc.). Additional visitor data will not be gathered and no data will be shared with any outside company or organization.
What if a visitor does not have a state-issued ID? Passports, military licenses, Mexico Consular ID cards, and Permanent Resident cards are accepted.
What if a visitor has no identification? If a visitor does not have identification, the information can be entered manually into the system to be checked and a badge can be printed. The visitor information would remain in the system for the future.
What if a visitor is known by staff because he or she regularly volunteers? Every visitor will need to print a badge to wear each time he or she is in the building. This helps us track who is in any of our buildings at any given time as a safety precaution. In addition, it helps staff confirm an individual has the authority to have access to a student.
See the attached FAQ. Raptor Visitor Management FAQ
Each building principal will be sending out an email to their staff and parents/guardians prior to October 4, 2021. If you still have questions, please contact your building principal or Mr. Joseph Horton at joseph.horton@southeastpolk.org.
The new process is not intended to discourage parents from visiting their children’s schools. On the contrary, we welcome visitors and encourage all parents to be an active part of their children’s educational experience. The goal is simply to enhance the safety and security of both students and staff by prohibiting school access to those who pose a potential threat.
The Raptor system was purchased with funding from the ESSR lll. We will continue to review and update our policies and procedures to meet the needs of our district. We thank you in advance for your cooperation in assisting to make SEP safe for everyone!
