Get ready to bring your I.D. to school

WORLAND — The Raptor web-based visitor management system for screening visitors will be coming to all five Worland schools later this school year.

Business Manager Jack Stott reported to the Washakie County School District No. 1 Board of Trustees Monday night that the software system has been ordered and would be implemented as soon as it arrives.

He said the overall system will be better after each entryway is renovated but those renovations will be phased in.

The Raptor visitor management system screens visitors entering each school. Stott said they can custom the screening to include custody issues, substitutes and vendors. He said it automatically screens through the sex offender list.

Each visitor to the school will be asked to provide some type of identification, with a driver’s license the best ID, Stott said. The name will then be entered and checked in the system before the visitor is allowed to proceed through the rest of the building.

He said the visitor management system could be ready as early as the end of March.

Once the entryways are renovated, visitors will be able to enter the first doors and they will not be buzzed into the building until they pass through the screening process.

The district will be renovating the entryway at the high school this summer to begin the process.

Stott said they likely will do the middle school next and the following year renovate the entryways to all three elementary schools.

ADMINISTRATION

The board also renewed contracts for all administrators — Worland High School Principal Wade Sanford, WHS Assistant Principal Brian Gunderson, Worland Middle School Principal Ryan Clark, West Side Principal Bruce Miller, South Side Principal Ken Dietz, East Side Principal Chris Peterson, Special Education Director Kim Sanford, Activities Director Mark Mortimer, Curriculum Director Jody Rakness, Business Manager Jack Stott and Technology Director Kathy Wise.

The board also went into closed executive session prior to adjournment for personnel issues including the annual evaluation of the superintendent.

In other personnel matters, the board hired Anja Abbott as assistant girls high school soccer coach, pending final certification.

YOUNG AUTHORS

South Side Elementary teacher Tina Krejci, who is also part of the Wyoming State Literacy Association, announced that Worland would again host the State Young Authors Judging Event and Celebration.

The judging will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at South Side Elementary. Volunteers are needed. To volunteer contact Krejci at [email protected]. Krejci said there will be entries from 13 local Young Author councils including Worland’s. Entries for the state contest must first go through a local council contest. Entries are due March 22.

In other business, the board approved the low bid of $311,347 from Fox General Construction for the ERC building remodel. Stott said the project, which has been in the planning for several years includes new siding, windows and roof, as well as elevating the heating and cooling system to get it off the ground for better maintenance and keep debris out of the system.

The project will begin as soon as school is out.

The board will begin work on the new budget starting in March with a work session at 6 p.m. prior to the next board meeting March 25.