In the future, parents and other visitors entering Great Bend USD 428 school will need to show identification and be scanned by safety software. Then they will receive a sticker to show they have approved access to the building.

On Tuesday, the school board approved purchases of Raptor Safety Software to implement Raptor Connect. The implementation fee was $5,992 and the annual license fee is $1,045.

Raptor Connect is a centralized school safety software suite that claims to streamline visitor management. When someone enters the school and shows ID, the software scans it, does a basic background check and prints a sticker, Assistant Superintendent John Popp said.

“You do this at the office,” Popp said. “It’s a real good way to identify who’s there and who should be there.” There is an app for a Raptor Passport for regular visitors.

Someone just dropping something off at the office wouldn’t need to be scanned. Popp added personal information will not be stored.

He said there will be some details to work out, including what to do if someone doesn’t have a government-issued ID and how to handle larger events. “It might be a slow rollout.”

This led to discussion about school safety in general. Board member Sara Williams asked if people entering schools could be monitored closer to the entrance. At some schools, this would mean changing the entrances — something that might be included in a future bond project.

Board member Karen Lindberg commented, “Thanks for always looking for ways to keep our kids safe.”