WILMINGTON — Safety is a priority at Wilmington City Schools (WCS), and beginning with the 2019-2020 school year, WCS will add another layer of protection in its continued security initiatives to keep students and staff safe.
WCS has installed Raptor, a background checking software, which scans visitors’ IDs before they can go beyond a school’s main office. Parents and visitors at WCS can approach the office during regular hours, but must have an ID on hand to go beyond the office.
The Raptor system checks the ID information against sex-offender registries in all 50 states, and a customizable database created by the district.
If a visitor’s ID is red-flagged by the system, the Raptor system sends instant alerts to designated staff via email and text to come and meet the person. The designated staff will determine whether the visitor has a viable reason for being in the building or if they need to be escorted off the school grounds.
If a visitor’s ID is not flagged, they will receive a printed time-sensitive badge with their name, photo, and destination within the school.
The Raptor system replaces WCS’ standard “pen-and-paper visitors sign-in sheet.”
Through the system, WCS can also track statistics including the number of visitors throughout the year, volunteer hours, and keep a record of any visitors in the building, which could be accessed in the future
It is important to note that the Raptor system only scans the visitor’s name, date of birth and photo for comparison. Additional visitor data from the driver’s license is not gathered nor is the system connected to any other system, such as the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Visitors without photo IDs can enter the building with a school staff member escorting them.
“WCS is very excited to bring this program to our schools. We ask for your patience as we roll out these new procedures,” stated a WCS media release.
