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Letter to the editor

School visitors will soon sign in via computers

Books are making way for an identification system that's tied to driver's license numbers.

By ELISABETH DYER, Times Staff Writer
Published August 24, 2007

Visitor sign-in books used in front offices at most Hillsborough County schools will be extinct by the end of the school year.

In their place will be a computer system. Guests will input their driver's license number and other identifying information to enter a school campus.

The district designed School Sign In and piloted the program after spring break last year at nine schools serving diverse ages and neighborhoods.

As of this week, 18 schools have new computers outfitted with the program. The computers cost about $750 each and will ultimately be installed at more than 200 sites. If it's not in your school already, it will be by the end of the school year.

In the future, teachers and tardy students will sign in through the system, allowing the district to keep track of who's on campus. The system will also prevent noncustodial parents from picking up their children.

We talked to school district security chief David Friedberg, who was on the team that implemented the program, about what to expect.

How does it differ from the old-school sign-in book?

Absolutely better than a sign-in book. We're automating what has been a manual practice. It simply enhances our ability to screen people coming onto our campuses. And in the near future, you'll not just type in your driver's license number but swipe it.

What does it screen for?

This is what it is in a nutshell. It's an in-house designed program. Our own IT folks designed the system for us based on our requests. When you sign in, it will screen against the sexual predator and offender Web sites.

So if a guest's name matches, what happens?

A badge will print out that says admittance denied. On the screen it will say: need to see an administrator to gain access. Not only will it alert the school, it will also alert my office and several of us within my office.

What will you do?

Well, if a name pops up that's possibly, and I underline possibly an offender or a predator, you have to do much more detailed identification. It doesn't mean that you'll never be able to come onto the campus, just that we need to do further inspection.

Who does that?

It'll be done by my office, by the student resource officer on campus via direction. Ultimately, the school's principal is responsible. I'll be able to walk them through or help them screen the particular person.

Of course, you want to keep out someone who has no business on campus, but what about parents?

There may be a parent that is also on that list. If they're on the sexual offender/predator Web site, it will depend on the circumstances.

A parent on the list could attend a teacher conference, for instance, but not a field trip?

Very possibly. Depending on the status of the offender and the specifics, it may be not during school hours. As a parent, you are entitled to the educational records of your child. That parent teacher conference may be at 6 o'clock at night when no kids are present.

Why did the district design it?

Some schools have bought software to track guests and have contracts that are due to expire. We figured it was a lot cheaper so we're not paying someone for what we can do. And it's a safety factor as far as screening our guests to our schools. Also there is the element of being able to track who's on the campus. In the event of a crisis, you would want to know - we know the students and staff on campus -we'd also want to be able to account for visitors from the district level.

Sounds like another step toward keeping kids safe.

Kids and staff. We sometimes forget about staff. It's for the safety of our students, staff and visitors. That's our goal.

[Last modified August 24, 2007, 08:07:05]