BOE revisits how schools manage visitors

The Marlboro board of education is moving forward with plans to add additional security to schools through a visitor management system.

The system, which will go through a trial period, will be introduced into three schools in the fall. The district will install the new technology at the Early Learning Center, Marlboro Elementary School and Marlboro Middle School.

The idea to add secure technology to the schools was introduced in Fall 2011 by the Marlboro Safe Schools Task Force, which recommended the district re-visit how it screens its visitors.

"It is added technology and it will scan visitors drivers licenses against the national sex offender registry and any other lists that the district may compile, such as a non-custodial parent list,” said Sharon Witchel, Director of Special Projects and Grants and School Community Relations.

The new technology, supplied through a third party vendor, will be able to scan identification and check school visitors against the sex offender registry, school created lists, and can print badges with photos of visitors. It can also be used by the school to keep track of staff attendance, allow access to a comprehensive lists of visitors, and can be used to track late sign-in for students.

The data is stored through a kiosk system and can be retrieved remotely by administrators.

According to Witchel, if a problem is detected with a visitor, he/she will be escorted to the main office and dealt with by the school’s administration.

During research or the proposal, the task force gathered staff feedback from each school in the district. In each school, the main office has visitors sign in and out as well as receive an identification badge. However, parents dropping something off for their children in the classroom do not receive a badge.

The report also said that some elementary school have escorts for visitors to classrooms, while other schools do not. And not every school requires sign-in and badges for large events held in the building during school

At the July 19 board of education meeting, the board agreed to begin a pilot program in the fall by leasing equipment for three schools.

"The goal is to lease the the equipment for the pilot program, because the cost is considerably less."

During the pilot program, the district will lease the equipment. Witchel said the board has applied for a grant through COPs-Secure Our Schools. The district applied for $75,000, and if awarded, will receive a 50 percent match, making the district responsible for $37,500.