Visitors
and Staff Identification Policy:
To promote effective communication between the
citizens of the community and the school system, the Board of
Education encourages parents and other citizens to visit their
schools periodically during the course of the school year.
The Board recognizes that many visitations that will occur are
regularly scheduled events, e.g. parent-teacher organization
meetings, public gatherings, registering of pupils, etc. There are
also occasions when parents or guardians desire to visit their
child’s classroom at other than regularly scheduled times. When such
visitations occur, they shall be made on the basis of a defined need
and shall be made only with the approval of their child’s teacher
and/or Principal. The Board views these visits as constructive;
however, no such visit shall be permitted to interfere with the
educational process.
It shall be the policy of the Watervliet City Schools that all
visitors and staff be identified before gaining access to school
buildings and must wear identification badges while on school
property. The purpose of the access control system is to enhance
building security and ensure that each visitor has legitimate
business with the school district. The goal of the identification
procedure is twofold:
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So that school staff may be identified
by responding agencies during times of crisis as a potential
resource.
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So that staff and visitors can be
identified as belonging on campus by all those who occupy
the facility.
Persons who are not student or staff shall
report immediately to the sign in area upon entering a school
building. Persons other than parents, guardians, students or staff,
who desire to visit a school building, shall do so only with the
permission of an appropriate administrative staff member.
Student visitors from other schools, unless they have a specific
reason and prior approval of the Superintendent of Schools, shall
not be given permission to enter school buildings. New students
accompanied by their parents are always welcome.
A violation of the visitation policy shall be prosecuted pursuant to
New York State Law.
The superintendent of schools shall promulgate and disseminate
Superintendent’s Procedures to accomplish the goals stated in this
policy.
Cross- ref: 1520, Public Conduct on School Property
5450.1, Notification of Sex Offenders
Ref: Education Law 1708;2801
Adopted date: October 20, 1998
Revised: August 16, 2007
Adopted date: September 19, 2007
WATERVLIET CITY SCHOOLS
Superintendent’s Procedures for Visitor and Staff Identification
Procedures
1. The following procedure is to be followed in the Watervliet City
Schools for the purpose of identifying those persons wishing to
enter school buildings. In order to comply with the directives of
the Board of Education Policy # 1240, each school building will
maintain a single point of access to the buildings where possible
during the school day. Those wishing to access the school building
during the school day will approach the designated access doors and
sign-in at the greeter’s desk. Where available, visitors will
initiate the Aiphone buzzer which allows school staff to note their
presence, and where appropriate, to allow them into the building by
releasing the electronic door lock so the person may enter the
building and sign-in as necessary.
The following procedure is to be followed by each affected building:
Middle School/High School
In order to facilitate a single point of access security feature in
the building, between 7:45 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. doors, other than the
parking lot north entrance, shall be closed and locked. During
normal school day operations visitors, guests, and others wishing to
enter the building, must do so by following the security access
procedure listed below (security access procedure).
Elementary School
In order to facilitate a single point of access security feature in
the building, from 8:05 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on on school days all the
building’s doors will be secured except for the main entrance on the
parking lot side, and visitors, guests, and others wishing to gain
access to the building must follow the security access procedure
listed below.
Security Access Procedure
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Designated access doors shall be monitored
by the greeter or main office staff during school hours.
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The Building Principal assigns monitoring
duties to appropriate staff.
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When an individual who wishes to enter the
building enters and proceeds to the greeter’s desk and/or
activates the Aiphone to request entry, the person monitoring
should determine the following:
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If the individual requesting access is a
staff member, access will be granted.
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If the individual requesting access is not
a staff member but is recognized as having legitimate business
with the school, access may be granted, and the visitor directed
to sign in and be given a visitors pass.
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If the individual requesting access is not
recognized, or is demonstrating unusual behavior, access should
not be permitted. The individual should be asked to wait at the
entrance and told that a school employee will show them to the
main office. The person monitoring should contact the building
administrator to determine if the visitor has legitimate
business and/or escort the individual to the main office.
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A sign shall be posted at the entrance of
each building requiring that visitors sign in at the greeter’s
desk.
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All visitors and school employees shall
wear identifying badges prominently displayed on their person at
all times on school property during the course of their duties.
Employee Badges
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Employee badges shall bear the owners name
and photograph.
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At the end of each school year the main
office will collect each employee’s badge and keep it until the
beginning of the next school year. Summer school employees will
be reissued their badges.
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Badges will be color-coded to assist in
differentiating the normal work assignment location or status of
people in the building as follows:
Watervliet Elementary School— Garnet
Watervliet Jr/Sr High School –Grey
District Office Staff—White
Visitors— Yellow
All school employees and administrators shall
assist the district in the enforcement of this administrative
regulation. Staff members who observe individuals on school property
during school hours who are not wearing a badge or a sticker, shall
approach the individual, request their identity and purpose of their
visit and escort them to the greeter’s desk so that they may sign in
and receive the appropriate identification. If a staff member feels
that the person that they observe poses a threat, the staff member
should not approach the individual but rather should contact the
building administrator immediately.
Visitors
All visitors entering the school building shall report to the
greeter’s desk, sign in on the visitors log and show positive
identification, e.g. drivers’ license. At that time, the greeter
shall issue the visitor “a visitor’s badge”. The visitor shall
provide their drivers license, keys or an item of equivalent value
in exchange for the badge. The visitor is required to display the
identification in a prominent fashion on their person at all times
while on campus. At the conclusion of the visitors business they
shall return to the greeter’s desk to sign out on the visitors log,
return their badge and receive their collateral property. It is the
duty of the greeter to inventory visitor badges at the end of each
school day and note any discrepancies to the building administrator.
Visitors who do not comply with the district’s requirement for
identification shall be asked to leave school grounds.
Deliveries
Persons making routine, anticipated deliveries to school facilities
will not be required to wear badges or sign in at the main office,
provided that the department receiving the delivery controls the
persons access to the building, and supervises them at all times
while on campus.
Persons who have unanticipated deliveries will be required to sign
in at the main office. Any person leaving a delivery for a staff
member or student will be required to provide proper identification
and show the greeter the content of the delivery.
Employees and Substitutes
Each current employee and each person who enters employment with the
school district in the future, shall be issued a photo ID badge at
no cost, which they must display at all times on school property
while in the course of their duties. The building administrator is
responsible for compliance with this requirement.
Contractors
Construction contractors performing work in occupied areas of the
school building are required by the Commissioner of Education to
wear photo identification at all times. Contractors who are
performing short duration work within the district may use the
district’s visitor identification procedure. Contractors, who are in
long-term relationships with the school district and spend 8 hours
or more per week at district facilities, shall be issued photo ID
badges identifying them as contractors and naming their employer.
Lost Badges
Visitors and contractors who lose their identification badges shall
make every effort to find such badge. If the badge cannot be
recovered, contractors shall be charged $10 replacement fee for
their badge.
School employees who lose their identification badge will be
provided replacement identification at no charge in the first
instance and $10 for a badge for each following instance where
identification is lost. |
