‘I would rather we take every precaution’: Schuyler schools to start new security screening

SCHUYLER, Neb. (KLKN) — Schuyler Community Schools in northeast Nebraska is strengthening its security as students return to the classroom.

Starting this school year, the district will be conducting a security screening of every visitor.

Signs are posted at the entrance of each school building, telling all visitors that they must go to the front office to check in.

“Is this something we have to do? Absolutely not,” Superintendent Bret Schroder said. “But I would rather we take every precaution and try our best to make sure everybody is safe rather than not take steps that we need to.”

Visitors will scan some form of government-issued ID.

It will run their identity through a national database, checking to see if they’re on the sex offender registry or if their name is on a list of people not allowed into Schuyler schools.

“It’s not a full background check, it’s not perfect by any means, but we can have that check within a few minutes,” Schroder said.

Once someone is cleared through the system, a name tag will be printed off, and a timestamp will go into the system as they enter the school.

“The system will actually notify us after a certain amount of time if they haven’t left the building yet,” Schroder said. “That way, we can keep track of who all is in our building at any point in time.”

He said the district has had a security system in place for years, but this was the obvious next step, and it’s an important investment.

“If you’re uncomfortable, learning becomes an issue,” Schroder said. “And we want our students to be able to learn in an environment where they feel supported and safe.”

These types of screenings are becoming increasingly popular in Nebraska school districts.

If someone is flagged by the system, they won’t be able to go into the building.

Schroder will review those cases himself to see if there is some sort of compromise to be made.

“But at the end of the day, if we’re unsure, we’re going to err on the side of safety for our students,” he said.