School Visitor Management Best Practices

Using a school visitor management system is essential to manage and track all your activities effectively. Following best practices will help you get the most out of your system and improve school safety and efficiency.

Create Appropriate Check-in Badges For Your School

Your school will have many different types of check-ins and check-outs, from parents visiting for teacher conferences, volunteers helping with an event, to students arriving tardy. It’s essential to have these different categories mapped out correctly to keep your information accurate. With iVisitor Management, you can create an unlimited number of check-in and check-out badges.

Scan a Driver’s Licenses and IDs For Every Check-in

One of the most helpful features of a  K12 visitor management system is cutting down on fake names, unreadable handwriting, and performing background checks. We recommend that all schools require all visitors to scan their driver’s license or state-issued ID at check-in, with no exceptions*. Your students, staff, and other visitors’ safety are too important not to require this step.

*If a visitor’s driver’s license or ID is damaged and cannot be read correctly, an administrator can enter the visitor’s information. 

 Scanning a license is very easy to do. All you need is a driver’s license scanner! The barcode on the back of a driver’s license or ID provides a visitor’s full name, date of birth, and state. Not only will you be sure you’re capturing accurate information, but you’ll also be performing automatic background checks!

 The iVisitor Management system automatically performs a sexual offender background check, custody issue check, and a banned persons check when a visitor scans their license or ID. If there is a potential match for any of these background checks, you’ll be alerted through email, push notification, and text message.

Want tips on how to handle large crowds of visitors fast during events? Check out our article on using iVisitor Management during school events here.

Take Photos of Visitors At Check-in

Being armed with the right information can help you in any situation. For example, say that a student reports that a visitor is in a suspicious part of the school but can only provide the visitor’s description. That is why we recommend that you require visitors to take a photo of themselves before completing a check-in.

Taking a picture at check-in takes just a few seconds, and the only piece of equipment needed is a webcam. iVisitor Management detects whether or not the visitor’s face is visible before taking the picture. All photos taken can be printed on a visitor’s badge and are available in your activity reports.

Print Badges For All Visitors While On Campus

It’s hard to know when someone is out of place when you don’t know where they’re supposed to be in the first place. Once a visitor checks-in, we recommend that you print a badge that identifies who they are, what time they checked in, and even where they are supposed to be while on campus. A visitor badge is especially helpful if you find a visitor walking the halls and see that they aren’t in the area they are supposed to be.

Collect a Signature When Students Are Signed-Out Early

Collecting a signature is often different from district to district. Whether a signature is required by policy or not, collecting a signature when a student is signed-out for early dismissal is encouraged. Doing so adds an extra layer of accountability. A touchscreen computer is required.

Direct Traffic with Multiple Visitor Management Stations

A new visitor might require more attention and probably won’t be familiar with your school’s visitor management system the first few times. A staff member can lend a hand while explaining the process if needed. However, a volunteer who helps out twice a week is more likely to know the process and wants to quickly check-in. 

 Having one system set up at a staff member’s desk and one system setup as a kiosk can help speed up the check-in process for frequent visitors while ensuring new visitors get the help they need. iVisitor Management allows you to create an unlimited number of check-in stations at no additional cost.

Setup Notification Alerts

Information is a powerful tool, especially in the right hands. That’s why sending alerts to the right people is crucial. If there is a custodial issue when a parent signs out a student or a sexual offender alert when a visitor signs in, your SROs and administrators should be alerted to take the necessary steps to remedy the issue.

Use Shareable Stations for Wellness Screening, Contact Tracing, and Minimizing Contact Points

COVID-19 has dramatically changed the needs of schools. You should be providing wellness screening questionnaires, employing contact tracing, and minimizing contact points around your school for everyone’s health. Last year, we released Remote-Links for iVisitor Management. This new software feature is entirely free for all customers and allows you to create shareable stations. With Remote-Links, you can share a custom URL of your iVisitor Management station with anyone, no matter where they are. Customize your check-in stations to include screening questions such as, “Do you have a fever over 100°F?”

All shared stations are accessible on desktops, laptops, tablets, and mobile devices. By using personal devices, you’re minimizing contact points around your campus. All activity recorded with Remote-Links syncs to your School Manager reports. Using the reporting feature, you’re able to employ contact tracing should you be notified of a positive case of COVID-19.

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