Administrative Procedure 0500 - School Visitors

I. Purpose

To establish procedures governing visitors to Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS).

II. Policy

The Board of Education is committed to providing a quality education to all students in a safe and secure environment. Its goal is to promote a culture where administrators, teachers, staff, and community members recognize and report any and all suspicious or improper behavior and where individuals are held accountable for ensuring the safety of students in our care. (Policy 0126)

III. Definitions

Classroom Visit: A pre-arranged visit with the principal in the classroom by the parents/guardians of current students or educational advocates of current students with disabilities.
Classroom Observation: An observation by an individual, an advocate or group interested in observing a specific class or program pre-arranged with the principal through the Office of the Chief of School Support and Leadership..
Conference: A pre-arranged meeting by the parents/guardians of current students or advocates of current students with disabilities with the classroom teacher(s), principal and/or other staff.
Visitor: A person (not a student of the school or an identified employee of PGCPS on official business) who has legitimate school business, to include, but not limited to: parent-teacher conferences, pre-arranged classroom visits, classroom observation, attendance at other school events or appointments with school employees.
Volunteer: A person assisting under the direction of a school administrator, teacher or other PGCPS employee to provide a variety of services (e.g., tutoring, mentoring, and/or chaperoning for the students) without financial remuneration from PGCPS and considered to be an important member of the school or site team.

IV. Procedures

Pre-Screening of Visitors
1. All visitors are required to enter a school building through the designated exterior electronic access entry doors equipped with a video intercom system.
2. All exterior doors must be locked and staff members assigned to monitor the video intercom system are required to pre-screen visitors before granting them access to the school building.
3. Each visitor must state their name and purpose for their visit through the video intercom system.
4. The visitor should be informed of the need to present their photo identification card to sign-in and obtain a visitor badge in the main office.
5. Once screening is completed, staff may grant the visitor access to the building by unlocking the door using the electronic entry system. Schools must have clearly visible signage directing visitors to the main office to complete the sign-in process.
Sign-In Process – Photo I.D. Required
1. In an effort to increase the safety of our schools for students and staff, PGCPS currently utilizes Raptor, an electronic visitor management system (VMS).
  1. The Raptor VMS enables schools to instantly check all visitors against registered sexual offender databases in all 50 states as well as monitor visitor and volunteer hours.
  2. The Raptor VMS enables schools to issue visitor badges with names, pictures, location or destination of the approved visit within the school, and time and date the badge was issued printed on each badge for security purposes.
2. Upon arrival at the school and prior to initiating any school-related business, each visitor is required to provide a copy of their government-issued identification that includes the visitor’s name, date of birth and photo to the school office to be scanned or manually entered into the Raptor VMS.
3. Visitors must be escorted and/or accompanied by a PGCPS employee at all times throughout their visit.
4. Visitors are required to wear the Raptor badge while at the school and to sign out via the electronic VMS (Raptor) at the conclusion of any designated school-related business.
  1. PGCPS employees or substitutes who do not have an employee badge visible must have their identification scanned and wear the Raptor badge while at the school.
  2. Any person who does not have a visible campus visitor badge or PGCPS identification should be immediately escorted to the main office.
5. All vendors and contractors not assigned to the particular school or facility will be scanned into the VMS each time they visit the school or facility.
6. On subsequent visits, staff may use the “Find” feature in Raptor to quickly locate who are already in the Raptor system. Staff should type in the First Name and/or Last Name and then click “Find”, which pulls up the visitor’s profile and signs them in.
  
  Exceptions:
  1. Law enforcement and other first responders: If law enforcement and/or other first responders are responding to an emergency, they should bypass the sign-in process.
  2. Large groups for assemblies, performances, etc.: If there is a large group of visitors entering the school building for honor roll assemblies, performances, etc. that are only located in one part of the building, visitors may be signed in using one of the following methods:
    1. ) Manual Sign-In:
      1. ) School personnel must check the identification card of each visitor and sign each in on a paper sign-in sheet as they enter the building and provide supervision to ensure visitors are restricted to the location of the event (i.e. auditorium, cafeteria, gym, etc.). The sign-in sheet should capture the first name, last name and date of birth of each visitor in addition to the purpose of their visit.
      2. ) Once the event is over, visitors must be directed out of the building. Any visitor remaining in the school beyond the end of the event must report to the main office and sign-in via the Raptor VMS.
      3. ) Once the visitors have left the building, the Principal should designate staff to manually enter the names and date of birth of the visitors into the Raptor VMS and maintain a copy of the sign in sheets for at least three years.
    2. ) Pre-Registration: School personnel may request visitors to pre-register for the planned event/activity and use the “Batch Detail” function in the Raptor VMS to pre-print visitor badges. The Raptor system will conduct a scan and print badges for all pre-registered visitors. Staff should print visitor badges for pre-registered visitors no more than 24 hours prior to the event. When the visitors arrive, school personnel shall quickly verify the identification of each visitor as they distribute the pre-printed visitor badges. Pre-registration is only allowed for visitors who have previously signed-in via the Raptor VMS in any PGCPS school/office. While running the batch, if one or more visitors are flagged with an offender or custom alert, staff should view the alerts and decide if the person is a match. If the person is a match, no badge is created and the visitor will not be signed in at the time designated in the Batch Detail.
Registered Sexual Offenders on School Property
1. During the Raptor sign in process, if a Possible Offender Alert displays and the match is confirmed, a silent alert is immediately sent via email and/or text message to the principal and other individuals identified to receive Sex Offender Alert Notifications. If the person who is designated to monitor the visitor sign in receives the Sex Offender Alert Notification, he/she must contact the principal or designee immediately.
2. The principal may deny an offender’s request for permission to enter the school if he or she determines that the circumstances of the registration warrant denial of permission to enter school.
3. The principal of the school may grant written permission for an offender to enter that specific school under the following circumstances:
  1. The offender is a student at, or seeks to enroll in the PGCPS school.
    1. ) Prior to granting such permission, the principal must conduct a meeting of an appropriate school team to understand all available facts associated with the student’s registration and develop an educational plan for the student that addresses the conditions and unique circumstances of the registration. The team shall include, but is not limited to: the principal, other appropriate staff, the student’s parent or guardian, and representatives from other offices or appropriate agencies as needed. All decisions regarding the student’s plan shall be documented and maintained in the student’s limited access folder (LAF).
    2. ) The principal or designee will brief all of the student’s teachers about the plan. All information maintained in the LAF and/or shared with the teachers shall be considered confidential.
    3. ) If permission is granted by the principal, it must be in writing and identify any conditions that must be met by the student, including the following statements:
      1. ) Permission is granted for the current school year and subject to reevaluation as scheduled or as necessary.
      2. ) Permission is granted for the identified school only and additional permission must be sought from the principal of any other school that the student wants to visit (e.g., away football game, school dance, or school play).
  2. The offender is a student at another PGCPS school and seeks to enter the property of a PGCPS school where he or she is not enrolled, to attend a school activity or for another authorized purpose. Such permission, if granted by the receiving principal, must be in writing and include the following:
    1. ) The date and purpose for which permission has been granted.
    2. ) The location within the school, or on school grounds, where the visit is to take place.
    3. ) The name and contact information of the school staff member who the student must notify upon entering school property.
    4. ) The name of a person, acceptable to the sending principal, who will accompany the student if he or she is entering the school property for the purpose of attending a performance, athletic event or other such gathering that may include multiple students.
  3. The offender is parent/guardian of a PGCPS student and wants to participate in a school related activity at that school. If the principal chooses to grant such permission, it must be in writing and include the following:
    1. ) The date and purpose for which permission has been granted.
    2. ) The location within the school, or on school grounds, where the visit is to take place.
    3. ) The name and contact information of the school staff member who the parent must notify upon entering school property.
    4. ) The name of a person, who will accompany the parent if he or she is entering the school property for the purpose of attending a performance, athletic event or other gathering that may include the presence of other students.
4. The principal may obtain a template letter from the Office of General Counsel to use for the written notification to the sex offender registrant required under this section.
Principal Responsibilities:
1. All PGCPS school sites must have at least one person designated to monitor the Airphone video intercom system. This employee shall require all visitors to state their name and purpose for the visit. After confirming legitimate purpose for visit, the employee shall grant access to school.
2. All PGCPS school sites must have at least one person designated to monitor the Raptor VMS, visitor sign-in location, and issue a visitor pass. This location will be in the main office or main entrance hallway.
3. Once a visitor’s identification is scanned into Raptor VMS, the system generates an electronic log and no sign-in sheet is required.
4. If the Raptor VMS is down and a visitor sign-in log is needed at other times, it must include a section for the visitor’s full name and birthdate, the time the visitor signed in, where the visitor will be in the building, and the time the visitor signed out. Permission to visit the school may be rescinded if the visitor does not comply with the stated purpose of visit or violates any policy or procedure.
5. Schools should maintain a copy of any daily sign-in sheet for large group gatherings for at least three (3) years.
6. A standard school welcome sign must be placed on all exterior doors. The sign will instruct all visitors to: NOTICE – ALL VISITORS MUST REPORT TO THE MAIN OFFICE AND PRESENT A GOVERNMENT ISSUED PHOTO ID.
7. All exterior doors must be kept secure except the main entrance and designated building entrances where students access the facility from portable classrooms or from other outdoor activities, as appropriate.
Visits are arranged as follows:
1. Classroom Visits and Conferences
  1. Classroom Visits and Conferences by Parents/Guardians of Current Students:
    1. ) The process to arrange a classroom visit or conference by parents/guardians of current students will be available from each school.
    2. ) Such visits are at the discretion of the principal, but will not be permitted during testing.
    3. ) Classroom visits and/or conferences by parents/guardians must be arranged at least 24 hours in advance.
    4. ) Parents may be permitted to observe or participate in the evaluation process for infants, toddlers or students enrolled in early childhood programs or settings with special education or related services.
    5. ) Classroom visits and conferences must be conducted in such a manner that the visits and/or conferences do not interfere with the classroom activities of any student in the class.
    6. ) The principal may limit repeated or lengthy visits that may disrupt the educational environment.
  2. Classroom Visits in a Virtual Learning Environment by Parents/Guardians of Current Students
    1. ) Such visits are at the discretion of the principal, but may not be permitted during testing.
    2. ) Classroom visits by parents/guardians must be arranged at least 24 hours in advance.
    3. ) The principal reserves the right to limit the length of a classroom visit to avoid disruption to the educational program, and normal operation of the school while also ensuring the safety, security, and privacy of students.
    4. ) Google Chrome Remote Desktop (RD) should be used during a parent(s)/guardian(s)virtual classroom observation, in which the teacher and /or principal would share the one-time join code with the parent(s)/guardian(s) and then, run the Zoom session. The parent(s)/guardian(s) will then join the session and watch the teacher's class. The parent(s)/guardian(s) is not permitted to participate in the class session. When the teacher ends the RD session, the parent(s)/guardians(s) will no longer be able to watch the Zoom meeting. The principal or designee will be present during the entire observation.
    5. ) The principal may limit repeated visits that may disrupt the educational environment.
  3. School Visits by Parents/Guardians of Prospective Students:
    1. ) All schools are expected to welcome the opportunity to share the strength of their educational programs with parents/guardians of prospective students.
    2. ) Each school will establish a process for school visits by parents/guardians of prospective students, which will include an opportunity at least once a month for parents/guardians of prospective students to visit the school and observe the educational program.
    3. ) The process for parents/guardians of prospective students to arrange a school visit will be available from each school.
  4. School Visits by School-aged Children Who Are Not Enrolled in the School:
    1. ) Each local school may establish its own protocol regarding whether or not to allow school visits by school-aged children who are not enrolled in the school.
    2. ) The school-specific protocol will be established with consideration for the ages of the students and any possible disruption to the school day of the school’s student population.
    3. ) Visits by school-aged children who are not enrolled in the school must be conducted in such a manner that the visit does not interfere with the classroom activities of any student in the school.
    4. ) In most cases, a visit by school-aged children who are not enrolled in the school, if permitted by the school, will not be permitted for more than one school day.
  5. Classroom Visits and Conferences by Educational Advocates of Current Students
    1. ) The process to arrange a classroom visit or conference by educational advocates of current students will be available from each school.
    2. ) Such visits are at the discretion of the principal, but will not be permitted during classroom/district and state testing or educational and related service evaluations (e.g., speech and language assessments).
    3. ) Classroom visits and/or conferences by educational advocates must be arranged at least 24 hours in advance.
    4. ) Classrooms visits may not last longer than one hour per visit and only two visits per quarter will be allowed by an educational advocate.
    5. ) Classroom visits and conferences must be conducted in such a manner that the visits and/or conferences do not interfere with the classroom activities of any student in the class.
    6. ) The principal or designee shall accompany the advocate during the classroom visit.
  6. Virtual Classroom Visits by Educational Advocates of Current Students
    1. ) Virtual classroom visits by educational advocates will not be allowed unless the privacy of the students can be maintained in a manner consistent with FERPA.
    2. ) If a visit in a virtual classroom is permitted it must not be conducted during classroom/district and state testing or educational and related service evaluations (e.g., speech and language assessments).
    3. ) Virtual classroom visits must be arranged at least 24 hours in advance and cannot last longer than one hour per visit.
    4. ) Only two visits per quarter will be allowed by an educational advocate.
    5. ) Virtual classroom visits must be conducted in such a manner that the visits do not interfere with the educational program, the classroom activities of any student in the class, and the normal operation of the school while also ensuring the safety, security, and privacy of students.
    6. ) Google Chrome Remote Desktop (RD) should be used during an advocate virtual classroom observation, in which the teacher and /or principal would share the one-time join code with the advocate and then, run the Zoom session. The advocate will then join the session and watch the teacher's class. The advocate is not permitted to participate in the class session. When the teacher ends the RD session, the advocate will no longer be able to watch the Zoom meeting. The principal or designee will be present during the entire observation.
2. Observations by Individuals or Groups
  
  An individual or group interested in observing a specific class or program must contact the Office of the Chief of School Support and Leadership and the Area Office to obtain approval for the observation. The Area Office may arrange for the observation or request that the individual make arrangements with the principal to observe the program.
Subject to the exception below, requests by parents/guardians to have a tutor, counselor, psychologist, or attorney in their employ come to school to work with a student cannot be approved.

Exception:
Community partnerships and agencies that provide mental health services to students through agreement with PGCPS’ Departments of Special Education and Student Services may have appropriate access to students at school for required services. These mental health professionals may include, but are not limited to: psychologists, counselors, social workers or behavior specialists.

V. Monitoring and Compliance

In an effort to monitor compliance with this procedure, monthly Raptor usage reports will be compiled by the Office of Compliance on a monthly basis and provided to the Chief of School Leadership and Support and the CEO.
School principals must maintain a copy of the school’s daily sign-in log on file for three (3) years.

VI. Legal Authority

Maryland Code, Criminal Procedure Article, section 11-722; and
Education Article section 26-102.

VII. Related Policies and Procedures

VIII. Maintenance and Update of These Procedures

This Administrative Procedure originates with the Office of General Counsel and will be updated as needed.

IX. Cancellations and Supersedures

This Administrative Procedure cancels and supersedes Administrative Procedure 0500, dated August 27, 2018.