The security of schools continues to be a growing concern in today’s society as violence and crime continue to rise. The safety of their schools is top priority to both the St. Cloud School District, including Clearview Elementary, and the Becker School District. 

 

The St. Cloud School District first installed he Raptor security system at Kennedy Elementary in 2015. It is now in all the schools in the district, including Clearview Elementary where it was put into place at the beginning of the 2018/2019 school year.

 

The Raptor system allows faculty and staff to perform quick, on-the-spot security checks on visitors to the school through the use of personalized name tags.

 

The system is efficient and user-friendly. Visitors provide their driver’s license, state ID or military ID to the staff upon entering the building. Their ID is then scanned into the Raptor system. This is a one-time step, after a person is in the system his or her license no longer needs to be presented. 

 

The Raptor system enters and stores each person’s photo, birth date and 3-D code from their ID. While the information is being stored, the system uses the barcode data from the ID to scan national registries and current custody orders to ensure the safety of students.

 

In a matter of seconds, the security system will notify staff if the person is authorized. A personalized name tag is then printed with the visitor’s name, photo and area of the school they are visiting. Any faculty or staff member can then see who the visitor is and where he or she is supposed to be with just a glance.

 

If a person is flagged by the system, the school’s emergency team will be notified and the visitor will not be allowed into the building.

 

“Any time we can increase safety for our students and staff people all around feel better,” said Clearview Principal Sheri Rutar. “We have installed Raptor and added a door monitor which helps give visitors direction when they arrive. I love that the system gives immediate feedback on each person.”  

 

When a visitor leaves they building they are checked out by a staff member.

 

Prior to Raptor, Clearview and the rest of District 742 used a paper sign-in sheet at the office and visitors were given a generic visitor badge.

 

In choosing the new security system, District 742 faculty and staff reviewed numerous options. One of the reasons they ultimately decided on the Raptor system is that it has been reviewed and approved by a regional Emergency Preparation Advisory Committee that includes police, fire and emergency responders.

 

“This security measure is another way we continue to strive to meet our mission to create a safe and caring climate and culture for all learners within our schools,” said District 742 Director of Community Engagement and Communications Tami DeLand.

 

The Becker School District uses a security system similar to Raptor, which was implemented in all the schools last spring. The feedback has been positive, with visitors expressing they prefer the new system over the old one.

 

“In this day and age the safety of our students is our number one priority,” said Becker Schools Supt. Dr. Steven Malone. “We’re doing everything we can to ensure they’re safe and secure.”