July 20, 2022
With safety at the top of all our minds, GISD is putting additional safety measures in place for the 2022-23 school year. One of those measures is the introduction of visitor screening on every campus.
In March of 2022, GISD piloted the Raptor screening software at Crockett / STEM Elementary. The visitor screening will be implemented on every campus this school year.
Here is how the screening process works:
All campus visitors are required to show a government-issued ID when visiting a campus. They are screened through a database that contains registered sex offenders from 50 states in addition to locally entered security information before being allowed on campus.
Click HERE to learn more about GISD’s visitor policies.
The Raptor Screening program is used by more than 5,000 districts across the U.S. Campus visitor information is retained in a database, along with their photo ID, so prescreened visitors can show an ID for clearance, which will avoid a new report having to be run repeatedly. This will increase efficiency, especially for parents and volunteers who regularly visit multiple campuses.
Here is an FAQ about the Raptor system:
Q: How does Raptor work?
A: Raptor compares government issued ID information to a database that contains registered sex offenders from 50 states. School district officials may also enter local information into the system.
Q: What type of IDs work in Raptor?
A: Raptor will scan all U.S. government issued IDs/licenses, concealed handgun licenses, permanent resident card, active military cards and passport ID cards.
Q: What if a visitor doesn't have a government-issued ID?
A: Visitors will be asked to speak with the onsite administrator, and they will be asked to provide their last name, first name and date of birth for manual entry into Raptor.
Q: Does the ID card have to be scanned every time a person comes to the school?
A: No, after a person's first visit, they just provide the office their name and ID, and they can be looked up in the GISD database. Once their identity is verified, a temporary badge will be printed for the visitor to wear while on campus
Q: What if a 'hit' on the system occurs? What is the protocol?
A: The Raptor system provides pictures of offenders in the system, so a visual confirmation is the first step. Also, the system will automatically send an alert to campus security and administration officials informing them. No visitor who is identified as a sex offender will be permitted onto the campus. In the rare case that a relative who is a registered sex offender wants to attend an event, he or she must make a request in advance, and arrangements will be made to have a district officer with the individual at all times.
Q: What is the checkout process?
A: The checkout process doesn’t involve the card being scanned again. The receptionist will find the name of the person signing out and click ‘sign out’ this provides a record of entry, departure and the time which they were there. The badge should be thrown away once the visitor leaves.
Q: What if visitors are just dropping something off and don't need to enter the campus?
A: Items for students and staff may be left at the front office.
Click HERE to learn more about Raptor.
Click HERE to learn more about GISD's safety and security measures.
