USD 489

Schools in USD 489 are now a little safer thanks to the recent installation of School Gate Guardian Professional visitor check-in/check-out software. The software was installed in early December at Early Childhood Connections, Lincoln, O’Loughlin, Roosevelt, Wilson, Hays Middle School and Hays High School.

The software allows for each school to run a background check for all visitors. The background check has an automatic check in the registered sex offender database, which includes 704,000 offenders. The software also enables the district to create customizable lists of unwanted visitors. This capability allows the district to prohibit any persons that may cause harm to students or staff from having access to the schools.

District schools previously used a similar system to check visitors in and out of the buildings. Since its installation last month, seventy guests have been checked in with the software. Once visitors pass the background check, office personnel issue them a time-expiring badge, which prohibits visitors from using the badge at other facilities. This allows staff at all buildings to know who has been properly checked in when entering the buildings. Guests are also required to check out when leaving each building.

The USD 489 Foundation for Educational Excellence applied for a grant from the Heartland Community Foundation in May 2016 to cover the purchase of the software totaling $9,275. The grant covered the cost to purchase the entry software, driver’s license scanner, badge/label printer, bar code scanner, and cameras. In addition to the purchase covered by the grant, the district has also invested $6,000 for the purchase of computers and a server to run the software.

Superintendent John Thissen said, “USD 489 wishes to extend its appreciation to the USD 489 Foundation for Educational Excellence for its efforts in obtaining the grant as well as to the Heartland Community Foundation for helping make our schools safer.”