Salado I.S.D. Now Runs Background Checks On All Visitors

Source: News Channel 25
04-02-2008

by Samica Knight

Salado - Administrators at Thomas Arnold Elementary School have installed a new device to warn the district if sex offenders or other criminal types are visiting campus.

Last week News Channel 25 spoke to a parent who was furious, claiming a sex offender, who is also a parent is allowed too much access on his daughter's campus.

Monday the school put in 'The Lobby Guard.' The district told News Channel 25 the device is something it has been considering for the past year.

The high-tech security machine scans the visitors drivers license, runs a background check and shoots out a name badge with a photo.

"It will actually check to see if they have a sexual predator history background and it will run that against all the databases in all 50 states as well as Canada and Mexico," said Earl Bragg, Technical Director with Salado I.S.D.

If the machine detects a sex offender or any 'felony type violation,' School Principal Lisa Nix told News Channel 25, a text message and email will be sent to the administration at the elementary school and also district administrators.

"Those people would be kept in the office, they could be escorted to the area where they want to go visit and monitored while here on campus," said Nix.

For now, the parent who contacted News Channel about the sex offender parents said he is grateful for 'The Lobby Guard.'

"It's as much as the school can do to satisfy me," said Allan Mantanona. "I don't think in the end that it should be left up to the school administration. 

"I think in the end there needs to be state laws that keep these type of people permanently away from our school whatever the circumstances."

The district told News Channel 25 it has to walk a fine line to protect students but also parental rights. S.I.S.D. administrators said legally they can not keep sex offender parents off campus.

The Lobby Guard was also installed in the Salado Intermediate School. A similar device was piloted at the high school last year.

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