Visitation Procedures (after students arrive at the start of the day, and before departure at the end of the day):

• All visitors must arrive at Door #1 of each school building.
  
• Only authorized visitors will be granted access to the building.
• Visitors will need to pass through the OpenGate weapons of mass casualty detectors (all bags are subject to search).
• Visitors will be asked to state their name and the reason for their visit upon arrival and to provide a valid government-issued identification (more information on acceptable forms of identification can be found below), which will be scanned using the Raptor system to generate a visitor badge.
  
• School staff at the Door #1 entry checkpoint and/or Main Office will provide additional instructions.
  
• Visitors who do not need to enter the building to fulfill their purpose (such as picking up a child or dropping off an item) will be permitted to wait at the entry checkpoint while staff assist them with their request.

The Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Union Free School District firmly believes that the involvement of families and community members is an essential component of the educational process. Our schools are committed to building strong family and community partnerships, and we welcome and value the contributions of the entire Ken-Ton School District community. We have also created additional layers of safety and security while schools are entrusted with the supervision of students.

Anyone who wishes to visit a school building during the regular school day for any purpose are asked to familiarize themselves with the visitor procedures. These procedures apply to anyone who is not a regular member of the Ken-Ton School District staff possessing a valid Ken-Ton School District identification badge. Please also see our Visitor Responsibilities.

Visitation Process:

Occasionally, parents/guardians and other guests will be invited to the school building during the regular school day for meetings, activities, events, and other school functions. When a parent/guardian or other member of the community wishes to initiate a visit to the school building or classroom while school is in session, the Building Principals or their designees are responsible for approving such requests. To minimize disruption, visitations to classrooms require advance permission in order to allow teachers the opportunity to make the necessary arrangements and modifications to their schedules.

The following visitation procedures will be in effect while school is in session (after students arrive at the start of the day, and before departure at the end of the day):

• All visitors must arrive at Door #1 of each school building.
• Visitors will need to pass through the OpenGate weapons of mass casualty detectors (all bags are subject to search).
• Visitors will be asked to state their name and the reason for their visit upon arrival and to provide a valid government-issued identification (more information on acceptable forms of identification can be found below), which will be scanned using the Raptor system to generate a visitor badge.
• School staff at the Door #1 entry checkpoint and/or Main Office will provide additional instructions.
• Visitors who do not need to enter the building to fulfill their purpose (such as picking up a child or dropping off an item) will be permitted to wait at the entry checkpoint while staff assist them with their request.

If a visitor does not have a valid ID, the individual will not be permitted entry to the school building. With the Building Principal’s approval, a Building Administrator or designee will have the option of escorting a visitor to and from their destination if their identify is known and they are present for an official purpose such as a meeting with school/district personnel. If a parent/guardian does not possess a valid identification but has been invited to the school for a specific purpose, they are asked to contact the school or department that issued the invitation. Special accommodations may be possible such as an alternative meeting location or assistance securing a valid ID.

There may be occasions such as daytime performances and end-of-year ceremonies in which the regular visitation process may be altered to accommodate large numbers of guests. On such occasions, staff will ensure that all visitors travel directly to and from the event location and are not able to access the rest of the building.

More About Raptor:

Raptor is an electronic visitor management system that is used in schools around the country. Upon arrival, a visitor will present his or her identification which will be scanned for the purposes of signing the visitor in and generating a disposable visitor badge. The Raptor system will also screen visitors against the national sex offender registry. It will alert staff whether an individual is identified as being a registered sex offender, or has been prohibited from being on school grounds by the school. For more information, visit raptortech.com.

Acceptable Forms of Identification:

According to Raptor Technologies, the scanners that are used as part of the visitor management system in the Ken-Ton School District are capable of scanning almost all government-issued identifications. Any form of government-issued identification with a 2D barcode or a Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) barcode as illustrated in the following image should be able to be scanned by the Raptor system.