LaFAYETTE – Visitors to any campus in the Chambers County School District must now present photo identification, such as a driver’s license, upon entering a facility occupied by students.

The ID is then scanned into a device called Raptor, which compares that individual to nationwide sex offender data bases. In the absence of an alert, the visitor is issued a pass which must be displayed on their clothing until they exit that location.

“As more money has been made available from the state for school security improvements, we have tried to focus on the latest advancements in technology to insure our students remain safe,” said Chambers County Schools Superintendent Dr. Kelli Hodge. “This system provides a proven layer of protection that we’ve never had before.”

The Raptor system is currently used in more than 32,000 K-12 schools across the country, and to date has identified and alerted officials to more than 50,000 sex offenders. It also identifies individuals involved in active custody disputes.

“We can never be too careful when it comes to safeguarding our students,” Hodge said. “Our mission is to protect every child, every school, every day.”