Identifying the Need
The St. Tammany Parish Public School System, located in the New Orleans metropolitan area of Louisiana, is comprised of a central office and 56 schools, making it one of the largest school districts in the state. With over 36,000 students and 5,000 faculty members, security is a main focus for the district. In 2006, St. Tammany embarked on a district-wide security review, improving all aspects of safety and security in each of their locations.
A major part of the security plan included the need for a more efficient visitor registration system. Previously, St. Tammany used simple paper log book at the main entrance of each school. Visitors were required to sign in and present a driver’s license, but it made reporting very difficult.
The ISG Solution
When St. Tammany was introduced to BadgePass™ Visitor Manager, they were quick to implement it throughout the district. Starting with just 8 schools, they realized the benefits of the system and expanded into 57 buildings. Each check-in station included a reader to scan visitor drivers’ license, the ability to crosscheck visitor names against the National Sex Offender Registry and a temporary badge printer, allowing schools to print customized labels for each visitor. The ability to automatically generate reports of all visitors onsite allowed the district to easily plan for evacuations and lock-downs.
Proven Results
“At first, parents were concerned about privacy and the hassle of checking in and out of the building every time they visited,” Louis Boullion, Director of Information Technology commented. “However, once they realized the benefits of the system, they felt more at ease knowing the school was taking even further measures to ensure student’s safety.” And as for the hassle? “There really is none. Each parent knows about the visitor policy and presents their driver’s license each time they enter the building. The whole registration process takes less than 6 seconds. It’s great!”
Administrators throughout the district agree; the registration process is extremely simple and the added security they get from the system is unmatched. Both faculty and parents enjoy the benefits of a more secure school environment.
