Visiting Our Schools
Our schools are not only learning spaces for our students but are also used for the benefit of our Central 301 families and communities. We strive to provide a safe school environment that is open and welcoming for visitors and visibly secure for our students and staff. Please read our guidelines and procedures before visiting our schools.
Central 301 Visiting Our Schools: Guidelines and Procedures
During the school day, we aim to provide an environment free of disruption for our students and staff. Visits should be limited to those directly related to student well-being and parent/guardian involvement in their students’ education.
During the school day, visitors are subject to the following procedures:
- All schools are accessible only via the secured main entrance (front door).
- Visitors must press the call button outside the front door, state their purpose for visiting, and wait to be buzzed into the building.
- All visitors must provide a valid ID and be scanned in to the Raptor Visitor Management System, which will run an instant background check.
- Visitors with histories that appear on the Raptor check will be either denied access to the building, limited to conducting business in the front office, or provided with limited, escorted access to other parts of the building as is necessitated by circumstances and/or applicable law.
- All areas of campus are gun-free, tobacco, alcohol, and drug-free zones.
Visiting After-Hours
Central 301 buildings are routinely used during after school hours for a variety of school, and community, sponsored activities. All users of our facilities are subject to applicable procedures as dictated by the District in specific usage agreements.
- After-hours visitors must remain in areas of the building specified for use.
- Access to other parts of the building is not allowed.
- After-hours visitors must follow the instructions given by school district personnel on hand to supervise events.
- Visitors accede to the understanding that our schools are equipped with video surveillance systems in use at all times.
- Visitors accede to the understanding that District properties may be actively monitored by District personnel and/or law enforcement agencies within their respective jurisdictions.
Raptor System – Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Raptor Visitor Management System?
Raptor is a visitor and volunteer management system that enhances school security as well as the school building’s ability to efficiently track and maintain visitor and volunteer records electronically. Each and every visitor is instantly screened against the registered sex offender databases in all 50 states. The Raptor system also ensures that accurate and reliable records are kept for every visitor that enters the school building, every day.
How does Raptor work?
All visitors will be asked to present a government issued ID to be scanned into Raptor upon entering a school building. Name, photo, and date of birth from visitor IDs are instantly compared against the national sex offender registry. If no match is found, a visitor ID badge is printed after the visitor selects the purpose of his/her visit. If a match is found, campus administrators are instantly notified through an alert message so as to take appropriate actions to keep the campus safe.
When an alert message is sent out, what information is contained within?
The alert message includes the offender’s name, photo and school building check-in location, as well as the name of the Raptor user assisting with the check-in.
What other information is Raptor taking from IDs?
Raptor is only scanning and storing the visitor’s name, date of birth, and photo for comparison with the national sex offender registry. Additional visitor data will not be gathered and no data will be shared with any outside company or organization.
Does Raptor gather any other background information from outside of the sex offender registries?
No. Raptor only checks the national sex offender registry, which is updated weekly. However, the school buildings have the ability to create Private Alerts for no-contact orders, no-trespassing orders, etc.
Will a visitor have to present a photo ID before every visit to the school building?
Yes. In order to become a registered visitor in Raptor, the visitor will need to present a government issued ID at the first initial visit. Subsequent visits may not require the scanning of an ID but will require the office staff to check the ID and log the visitor in Raptor. At each check in, the visitor is being screened against the national sex offender registry.
NOTE: Visitors will need to present their ID for scanning at each new school they visit, as each school database is individual to the system. So as to maintain accurate identification, at the beginning of each school year, visitors and volunteers will be required to have an ID scanned upon their first visit to a school.
Can I still visit the school without a government-issued ID?
A visitor cannot become a registered visitor within Raptor without a government-issued ID. If a visitor does not have acceptable photo identification available, but can be readily identified as a known Parent, Guardian, Visitor or Volunteer by the school’s administrator or office staff, the visitor will be manually entered into the Raptor system for screening and check-in. If a visitor does not have acceptable photo identification available and cannot be readily identified as a known Parent, Guardian, Visitor or Volunteer, the visitor will not be allowed access into the school building past the main office as that person’s identity cannot be verified.
This web page citation informs the public that the use of Federal dollars in Central Community Unit School District 301 meets the Stevens Amendment requirement. Staff development opportunities, resource purchases, and personnel have been funded in whole or in part with Federal entitlement dollars.