[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6232850,"mediaKeyId","3425702-270b8e4e9503cefcb63df109a468db07","parentId",3425702,"title","Board approves Raptor badge alert system to expand school emergency notifications","audioSeconds",1144,"startMs",6749000,"endMs",7893000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3425702-270b8e4e9503cefcb63df109a468db07&start=6749&end=7893","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3425702-270b8e4e9503cefcb63df109a468db07/thumbnail_6749000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6232850/West-Virginia/Board-approves-Raptor-badge-alert-system-to-expand-school-emergency-notifications","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6232850-e62121898bdc152f6e7c50dd89ee15c4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770862327&Signature=L54qFmEZiruANGKFNOWEkFiiYleH710J2DJiJHwhKAjCBYP-W0vqGJ8wMsVjPSsevUvLfj2vXc0s6HYrZkckP-baIwOLBHBd46Q0VoYu8kooCGt265LJNkvZ106ElUgVJ0XE3ZBJKYISh17I6hPhc~UqJngVWMp0GO83GyhdyL6nsT-FwOCpLXZ~mcUwlRk9cDPBMeJaYs8NSFnto6n-xgI-WrjoZ5~4WGARPaG~~XqItMhBFYiZy-ST2jQc0RX0D~Q3oWhp9idMvS1J0JN30cIN8mJlXoR~SFLM4QPGXJ-rovJJmFAXMBJ68Cssh4me7StxQmw1m11GeIAE7qICIw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Berkeley County Schools","date","2025-05-21T16:06:56.4Z","article","The Berkeley County Board of Education voted May 19 to approve a multi‑part safety alert system from Raptor, including an initial setup and mapping phase and an annual subscription for alert services. The system combines wearable panic badges, a campus LoRa mesh for redundancy, and Raptor’s visitor management and reunification tools. Raptor representatives said the network triangulates badge location and can trigger synchronized campus notifications (sirens, PA messages, signage) while interfacing with 9‑1‑1 call centers and local first responders.

People Services coordinator Melissa Holland explained the district vetted 10 vendors and narrowed the field with input from school security staff, technology, maintenance, local law enforcement, 9‑1‑1 and homeland security. She said the district prioritized redundant communications (Wi‑Fi plus LoRa), 9‑1‑1 interoperability and an up‑front mapping service; the consultants also noted the product supports standard response protocols used in the county. Holland said Raptor will provide initial building mapping for the district at no additional charge as part of the negotiated implementation.

The board approved the contract after staff explained the structure: an initial installation and setup cost and an annual subscription. Administration told the board that the visitor‑management portion, badge hardware and initial mapping are covered in the implementation proposal; some optional components such as strobe lights and additional field hardware could be added later. \"The beacons that pick up the signals from the badges... are completely free. They come with this cost, and the installation goes with the cost,\" Holland said in response to a board question.

Board members asked about accidental activation and were told district implementation will set the required number of badge presses to trigger different alert levels and that vendors and administrators will limit false positives through configuration and training. The vote authorizes staff to proceed with procurement and implementation planning; staff will return to the board with cost‑allocation and an implementation timeline. The system will be phased in and integrated with existing emergency planning and, as staff noted, the state’s evolving mapping legislation timeline.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Education Meeting 5-19-25","oneSentenceSummary","After vetting multiple vendors and consulting with 9‑1‑1 and homeland security, the Berkeley County Board approved purchase and initial implementation of the Raptor badge alert system, which will add a LoRa network and wearable panic badges for staff and a visitor-management layer.","taxTitle","BERKELEY COUNTY SCHOOLS, School Districts, West Virginia","taxId",13060,"location","West Virginia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6232855,"Study finds routes, data and staff changes could cut bus runs; board to review staffing plan",2737,6231000,8968000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3425702-270b8e4e9503cefcb63df109a468db07&start=6231&end=8968","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3425702-270b8e4e9503cefcb63df109a468db07/thumbnail_6231000.jpg","/articles/6232855/West-Virginia/Study-finds-routes-data-and-staff-changes-could-cut-bus-runs-board-to-review-staffing-plan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6232855-aecfa9608103f268ff1279e00b2e02a7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770862327&Signature=ZYxilljsQL43Vr1BWzA6DNFfWuNf6VdDS~Fkh0al-cOniaiXLoN31AaH69DTKdHC2lrxMUvsjWhlLnF0PmlEZhWtfwfbeM9KlrZ-9mvFqmmkjcrEeHvdJME1gK61sblx4DvttSrhOc0srPqZb~szkFoQ8ugJ8irh1bnrUwmBV2rCbrEtZ5C9~2qx2n0tmu9xY-RUf75LZGKDAvzHXivDHewzTu9eofqIaGM9LBEpYNMAwFXYdVzg~gp3Yg~BdMBe1bOyHu6udrs7KpDLA8S-UgPINqiMfeyegsIECnWq2QleT2ge~s5oFsfYmzscPbgnb8CIwJqDPTaIvuR~rv2Y6g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","An independent transportation efficiency study presented to the Berkeley County Board of Education on May 19 concluded the district could reduce routes and increase operational efficiency by consolidating routing data, adjusting bell times and adding dedicated routing staff. Consultants from Edulog and partners described data problems that have inflated assigned loads, undercounted actual ridership and left many yellow‑bus routes operating below expected capacity.

\"When we looked at the runs ... by allowing some multischooling, we were able to take 10 buses off the road,\" consultant Spencer Jenko said during the presentation of a Spring Mills complex sample. Program lead Derek Graham and Edulog advisers urged bringing special education routing into a single routing database and creating one or more dedicated routing positions so the district can more effectively update runs and respond to midyear ridership changes.

The study identified several drivers of inefficiency: separate routing databases for general and special education, inconsistent ridership tracking (the consultants found headcounts on the road averaging roughly 64% of assigned loads in sampled observations), contracted transportation costs (Epic and Varsity Travel) that are higher per student than district buses, and an afternoon bell‑time squeeze that compresses bus activity into a short window. Consultants recommended phased consolidation of routes, removal of students from assignments after sustained non‑ridership, combined runs where feasible and targeted staffing increases dedicated to routing and data management.

Board members welcomed the report and asked administration to return with a staffing proposal. \"There needs to be a position identified to focus on routing students,\" consultant Derek Graham said; the board directed staff to draft a recommended organizational structure and any position descriptions for review. Superintendent Sachs said the district would work with Edulog and the transportation office to identify the number and type of routing positions needed and to develop a phased timeline for applying route consolidations that respect state rules and staffing cycles.

No immediate staffing hires or route eliminations were authorized at the meeting; the board asked for a staffing plan and an implementation roadmap to appear at the June 2 board workshop. The study’s authors noted that full optimization will require building capacity and redundancy in routing staff, better data hygiene (including moving special‑education routes into the central routing platform) and careful stakeholder engagement with drivers and schools to avoid disruptive, rapid changes.","An independent study recommended routing, data and staffing changes that could reduce routes and shift contracted trips back to district buses; the board asked staff to propose a staffing plan and phased implementation.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6232860,"Berkeley County Schools launches summer device pilot as critics warn of risks",2783,3757000,6540000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3425702-270b8e4e9503cefcb63df109a468db07&start=3757&end=6540","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3425702-270b8e4e9503cefcb63df109a468db07/thumbnail_3757000.jpg","/articles/6232860/West-Virginia/Berkeley-County-Schools-launches-summer-device-pilot-as-critics-warn-of-risks","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6232860-dc547131614d7d383e3a19d2e00a9b2f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770862327&Signature=L0XiXpj~xq4xG1TUNII6TxO9Q-XTo3bnoJc-M6MKKgxGMM5pUQ833N8Y2~LQeKK1LghCq19NZlpA6PfBuEzLgwrj07LE1gUdw7fZ8SlwKkTtKbiF-7dBbN3KZ3sHR7DpXCj8rflgHM-Uzj4vCRj~QWsRAcyVY6xQf5RAWtXno3JpScvCT6kLfIpe2F3v4mYeuBBkH2cNW42KXLfBDoWiATXe~D06QbhC2tmKDt6XTzZ1GehgyreNXvJu15YKAMOpJvWTaiyIQm8V-mCfHQnUQaZe7M3QLaNq3CQokIO6a3sA1Byzx9DckI3AMPkKWLnVxg6AB-QP~05ZIKVyio4HfQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Berkeley County Schools Superintendent Dr. Jason Sachs told the board on May 19 that the district will pilot allowing students in grades K–11 to keep district-issued devices over the summer to let teachers start diagnostics earlier in August. \"By allowing students to keep their devices over the summer, we're helping them show up ready with their devices charged, tools in hand, preparing to learn,\" Sachs said, describing the pilot as modeled on other districts and explicitly reversible if it does not produce clear instructional or operational benefits.

The initiative is aimed at getting instructional diagnostics, including i-Ready assessments, into students' hands earlier than the district's recent experience of a 5–6 week delay at the start of school; Sachs said the pilot is meant to reduce summer redeployment costs and eliminate the start‑of‑year delays that limit early targeted instruction. He also said families can opt out by contacting their school, that AppleCare/Safeware insurance purchased by the district covers 100% of accidental repair costs, and that the pilot is being framed as a limited trial: \"If the results this fall do not reflect clear instructional and operational benefits, then we will absolutely evaluate,\" Sachs said.

Some board members and public commenters urged caution. Board member (and parent) Michelle Powers said she would likely opt her children out, explaining a concern about students’ social‑emotional health and summertime screen access: \"My concern revolves around the social emotional aspect for our kids.\" Sherry Breach, speaking in the citizens forum, called the district-wide rollout a mistake and warned of device loss, resale or misuse: \"This decision ranks at the top of the list as being a total mistake,\" she said, urging the district to reconsider a full roll‑out and to include principals and frontline staff in planning.

The board did not take a formal vote specifically authorizing the pilot at the May 19 meeting; the superintendent announced the pilot and the board discussed concerns and next steps. Board members asked administration to provide clearer communications to staff and families (budget highlights and a summer learning toolkit were referenced) and to continue work on accountability processes for devices, including messaging on responsibilities and consequences for loss or damage. Administration and the board also discussed the potential need for additional monitoring if the pilot expanded in future years.

District officials told the board that the pilot approach follows models in Kanawha, Cabell and other districts and emphasized that the pilot is designed to be opt‑in for families and to limit district repair costs by leveraging purchased device insurance. The superintendent’s office and the technology department will report fall outcomes to the board after the pilot period to determine whether to continue or change the approach.","The Berkeley County Board of Education supported a superintendent proposal to pilot allowing students to keep district-issued devices over summer to speed fall instruction; board members and public commenters raised concerns about screen time, device loss and accountability.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board approves Raptor badge alert system to expand school emergency notifications

Study finds routes, data and staff changes could cut bus runs; board to review staffing plan

Berkeley County Schools launches summer device pilot as critics warn of risks