Back to School: Texas Districts Upgrade Security Systems
The two districts are part of a nationwide trend toward better access control in schools.
AISD tested the vestibule entrance at Rountree Elementary School last year before adding it to many of its other schools.
Two school districts in Texas have made major security investments in preparation for the new school year.
Allen Independent School District (AISD) and Plainview Independent School District (PISD) both improved their schools’ security this summer, mainly through the addition of access controls.
At AISD vestibules were installed in all elementary and middle schools and visitors will have to explain to administrators why they’re at the school before they’re granted access. Intercoms, card readers and surveillance cameras were also installed with the vestibules as part of the access control upgrade, according to starlocalmedia.com.
AISD had been testing the vestibules in two of its schools last year. The district also switched all of its analog video cameras to digital this summer.
PISD installed the Raptor Visitor Management System in their schools, which scans visitor’s driver’s license before they walk into the school building as a screening process. If a visitor is a potential risk school administrators will be alerted, according to myplainview.com.
The Raptor system connects to the internet to run visitor’s IDs through a sex offender database and logs visitor hours.
For AISD, the changes follow a 2014 school safety audit that recommended the vestibules and internet protocol cameras.
Officials from both schools said student safety is their top priority.
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