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Changes to Visitor Management Procedures at Hatch, Longfellow and Julian

Continued safety inside our school buildings is one of the highest priorities for District 97 schools. We are committed to identifying and investing in new resources to further protect our students and staff. With your help, we are set to launch a new feature to better screen visitors who come into our buildings. 

Starting in January 2020, Julian Middle School, Hatch Elementary School and Longfellow Elementary School will ask visitors to sign-in and present identification (such as a driver’s license) to be scanned into our new LobbyGuard digital visitor management system. This is a pilot program for the 2019-20 school year, so all other schools will continue to follow the procedures outlined in the District 97 Visitor Management Policy.

LobbyGuard is a self-serve kiosk that requires visitors to scan a valid driver's license prior to obtaining a badge to enter the school. Upon entry into the office, visitors will use the touch screen at the kiosk to enter information and scan their license. Using the information from a driver’s license or state identification card, the LobbyGuard system will check the scanned information against a national database of registered sex offenders, as well as school-entered information on individuals who are not allowed on building property. Once approved, visitors will obtain a visitor badge and lanyard from the office staff (similar to the picture below) so all guests to the building are easily identified. Any visitor who is not wearing a badge will be escorted back to the front office. If you do not have a driver’s license, please bring another form of valid photo ID or visit ahead of time with the staff in the main office. 

Our front office staff will keep either the driver's license or other identification of each visitor entering the school. All visitors must check out before exiting the building and retrieve their driver's license or other identification. LobbyGuard is currently in use at Oak Park and River Forest High School, so parents with students in both districts should be accustomed to the LobbyGuard process.  

This new security feature does not replace the valuable safety supervision of our school administrative assistants, staff and building principals, who often best know who should and shouldn’t be inside your child’s school. Updated Visitor Badge

We appreciate your patience as we implement the LobbyGuard system in our schools. Your continued support and partnership are essential in helping to keep our schools safe and encouraging a positive school climate that's conducive to learning and growth. For more information about LobbyGuard and our visitor management procedures, please review our Visitor Management System FAQs, or school staff will also be able to assist you.