Overton Schools Working Through New Visitor Management System Implementation

Despite minor hiccups, Overton County School System is seeing success in implementing its new visitor management software.

IT Supervisor Brent Thrasher said the program was made possible through a Safe Schools grant and was purchased at the end of last school year. He said they spent all summer establishing the hardware and other technology as well as training faculty and administrators on how to use it.

“It’s just been small things like if their scanner’s not reading the driver’s license or maybe it’s a small thing like the device is unplugged,” Thrasher said. “So it’s just working through those small hiccups to get the system really familiarized the in-user with the system.”

Thrasher said the system will screen visitors as they enter every school in the district by scanning a photo I.D. using a system in the front entrance. That system will run the I.D. through a database and alert the system if there are any red flags regarding that visitor.

Thrasher said parents and other visitors are already used to the camera system used to page the front office about why they are visiting. He said after that step, the change visitors need to be aware of is that an I.D. check will be required.

“It’s been a lot to roll this out to all the schools at the same time,” Thrasher said. “Just coordinating everybody implementing a new system at the start of a new school year is always a challenge. but I think it’s worth the effort, obviously, things don’t happen without any hiccups really. It’s to be expected we’ll have to work things out as we get a system implemented. But I think it’s worth the effort because it’s going to make our schools a safer place”