Visiting a School

Mehlville School District welcomes parents and other community members into our schools for special events, meetings, tours and other occasions. However, keeping our students and staff safe while at school is something we take very seriously. In order to increase security at all of our school buildings, we have started using the Raptor Visitor Management System to track visitors. This system will be used in conjunction with our existing exterior door buzzers and security cameras.

If you'd like to enter the building farther than the school office, you must register by presenting a valid, government-issued ID to the school's office staff. Registration takes a few minutes the first time because it requires an office staff member to complete the process. It will be quicker during subsequent visits.

Why do we need a visitor management system like Raptor?

Part of keeping our students safe is knowing who is in our buildings at all times. The Raptor system allows us to track visitors, contractors and volunteers in our schools, and assist with student checkout. Raptor conducts a limited background check against the national database of registered sex offenders. 

Visitors entering a school beyond the office receive a printed ID sticker that must be worn and visible during the entire stay. This makes it easier for our school staff to know who is allowed inside the school.

What forms of ID will the system accept?  

Raptor accepts any state-issued ID, including state-issued driver's licenses and state ID cards. It also accepts military IDs, government IDs, Canadian driver's licenses, Mexican driver's licenses, Mexican consulate IDs and alien registration receipt cards. 

What if I don’t have a valid form of ID or don't want it scanned?  

If you don't have a state- or government-issued ID or don't want your ID scanned, there is still a way for you to get access to our schools, but you will not be able to enter the school without a staff member escorting you. You will need to speak directly with school office staff members, who will ask for your legal name, date of birth, relationship to the student and reason for visiting. Office staff will manually confirm your identification and run a background check.

What type of background check does Raptor run?

Raptor scans your name, date of birth and a photo for comparison with a national database of registered sex offenders, but it does not check criminal or traffic history.

Will you scan my ID every time I visit? 

Yes. The first time you come to the school office, office staff will scan your ID and register you in the system. Your registration will be good at all Mehlville buildings. After you have registered, you will be able to have your ID quickly scanned in the school office when you visit. If you are entering the building beyond the school office, an ID sticker will print for you to wear during your stay. ID stickers make it easy for school staff to know you checked in and are approved to visit. 

What information does Raptor scan and keep? 

Raptor collects and stores your full name, date of birth, first four digits of your license number and photo when your ID is scanned. It does not keep a digital copy of your ID. 

How does Raptor keep my data secure? 

Raptor uses firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, host integrity monitoring and port filtering, as well as the latest security processes to protect all of its systems and data. All information entered into Raptor gets encrypted using 256-bit AES encryption. Raptor does not share data with any third parties.

What if I have an outstanding warrant or am undocumented? Will you report me to the police or immigration?

The National Sex Offender Public Registry and Mehlville School District's student information system are the only two databases that Raptor checks. The system will not alert office staff or even know if you have an outstanding warrant or are undocumented.

Mehlville School District does cooperate with police. If authorities contact us to alert us to someone who might pose a threat to school safety, this information can be entered into the system so administration gets alerted if that person visits one of our schools. 

Are vendors and other regular school visitors who enter the building required to have an ID scanned? 

Yes. Everyone who enters the building beyond the school office will be required to have an ID scanned and wear a printed ID sticker.

What happens if I am a registered sex offender but have a child at the school?  

Upon scanning your ID, a silent alert goes to administrative staff members so they can meet with you privately.

According to Mehlville Board of Education policy, the superintendent may grant permission for a parent, guardian or custodian of a student to be on district property for the limited purpose of attending meetings with district staff or in other situations where the student may benefit. Permission will be granted sparingly, if ever, and only in situations where the parent, guardian or custodian will be supervised at all times or will not be alone with a child. If the superintendent does not grant permission, the parent, guardian or custodian may seek permission from the board. The superintendent will inform the principal and other relevant district staff of the scope of the permission granted.

Do other schools and institutions use a system like this? 

Yes. Some surrounding districts use Raptor to help ensure school and student safety.
The Mehlville School District strictly prohibits discrimination and harassment against employees, students or others on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, or sex including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity and other characteristics protected by law. The following individuals have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: contact Adam Smith at 314-467-5006 or [email protected].