• Visitor Identification Badges

    Visitors to schools or other school division facilities are expected to report promptly to the appropriate office to discuss the purpose of the visit and to obtain a date-sensitive, impermanent identification badge.

    The only visitors to schools or other school division facilities that are not required to obtain a visitor’s identification badge are:  Law enforcement officers and other emergency service providers (e.g., fire fighters, EMS), when in uniform and/or displaying their badge of authority prominently, are not required to obtain a visitor’s badge or surrender an ID, as their identity is clear. Law enforcement officers and other emergency service providers must sign in on the visitor’s log, except in emergency situations.

    Visitors may include parents or relatives of students, citizens, invited speakers, salespersons, news media representatives, students not enrolled in school, observers from colleges and universities, volunteers, and business partners.  School division employees not regularly assigned to a given facility are also considered visitors and shall report to the appropriate office and follow all sign-in procedures.

    Visitors shall be required to report to the main office of the school or school division facility, provide valid government photo identification, and state the nature of their visit to the school division facility.

    The visitor identification badge or the Stafford Schools employee photo-identification badge must be worn in a manner that makes them readily visible to students and staff in the school division facility.

    Upon completion of business in the school division facility, the visitor shall report to the office to turn in the visitor identification badge, and collect their photo identification before exiting the facility.

    Each school division facility shall have a procedure to inform visitors and staff of the visitor identification badge requirement.

    Visitor Identification Systems     

    The school division has implemented a Visitor Identification System (VIS) for the purpose of identifying registered sex offenders.  This system also allows the school division to monitor visitors to the schools for emergency and security purposes.

    Stafford Schools employees and law enforcement authorities will continue to sign in at schools on a paper log, maintained at the school’s visitor sign-in location. 

    Visitor identification systems cross-reference information against states’ sex offender registries.  All visitors must produce one of the following forms of valid government issued identification, containing a full name, date of birth, and photograph:

    • U.S. or foreign driver’s license
    • U.S. or foreign government ID
    • Military ID
    • Department of Motor Vehicles photo ID
    • Passport
    • Permanent Resident Card (Green Card)
    • Re-entry permit

    Visitors who are unable to produce identification acceptable to the VIS must meet with a building administrator or school security immediately. Visitors with a legitimate educational purpose in the building will be granted access for such purpose subject to any conditions imposed by the school.

    All state and federal laws will be adhered to for any individual positively identified as a registered sex offender.

    Data generated by the VIS shall not be used for any purpose other than the identification of registered sex offenders, monitoring the security and safety of students and staff, and logging volunteer hours.

    The Department of Safety & Security shall be responsible for implementing and monitoring this regulation.