Ridgefield School District buildings will have some additional screening for all visitors starting April 9.
The new system, from Raptor Technologies, will ask visitors to check in at the front office and provide valid identification. Their ID will be scanned to check national registered sex offender databases. If they pass the check, they’ll be given a sticker to wear as a visitor’s pass.
If they turn up in the search, a building administrator and security officer will be summoned to the front office to speak with the visitor.
It’s something district officials started discussing earlier this year, after Chris Griffith, assistant superintendent in the district, heard school officials from Woodland and Camas talking about using similar security systems. Both districts started using those security systems in the 2016-2017 school year.
“The response from parents so far has been overwhelmingly positive,” Griffith said. “We’re trying to create a safer environment for our students.”
Griffith said that the district had a table set up at Ridgefield’s Safety Night. They’ll continue to educate the community about it as the system is implemented.
What Griffith likes about the system isn’t just that it checks visitors against a sexual offender database, but it also helps track visitors. Now, when visitors show up, they’ll be entered into the online system, as opposed to fill out a sign-in sheet at the office. They’ll also get a printed-out visitor’s pass if they’re visiting part of the building where students are located.
“All visitors will have uniform, consistent badges,” he said. “It’s easy to see if they don’t have a district ID badge, they’ll have this sticker.”
He said that can make it easier for staffers and students to see if someone belongs in the school, as they should either have a badge showing they work for the district or a printed visitor sticker.
When it starts, Griffith said, the district will use the system to track visitors. It also has a volunteer mode, which can be used to track volunteers coming to district buildings and how long they’re volunteering.
