Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Wilson School District plans door‑access, visitor ID and emergency app rollouts after security upgrades
Summary
District safety director Dr. Hoffert reported camera upgrades, a summer door‑access project, a visitor ID system and bus‑patrol data; board members thanked staff and noted state grant funding.
Dr. Andy Hoffert, the district’s safety and security lead, gave an end‑of‑year update to the Wilson School Board on May 19 describing technology and process changes intended to tighten school security.
Hoffert said the district completed most camera upgrades last summer and will begin replacing door‑access control units across the district this summer, linking access controls with cameras so administrators and, in specified circumstances, local police can view doors and camera feeds remotely.
The district will also convert from paper sign‑in to an electronic visitor‑access system that scans photo IDs, prints photo badges and creates an electronic visitor log. Hoffert said the system—part of a suite from Navigate360 that the district already uses for ALICE training and behavioral threat assessment—has been piloted and will roll out toward the end of the school year in preparation for fall.
Hoffert also described the bus‑patrol program the district began operating on January 6. He said the district receives monthly reports that break down stop‑arm violations by bus, route and stop so the district can provide data to local police and target training for drivers. He described a two‑step review process (bus‑patrol review followed by police review) that determines whether tracked violations are converted into tickets; Hoffert said a range of reasons can prevent conversion, including stopped lights not being activated early enough or visibility issues for motorists.
Hoffert said the district completed ALICE certification in March 2025 and is adding an emergency operations app tied to classroom panic buttons and live rosters. He said the app will allow staff to activate scenario‑specific alarms (fire, medical, intruder), receive live protocols and pull up class rosters so administrators can see who is accounted for during a reunification or other emergency.
Funding for much of the work has come through Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) grants tied to the governor’s budget, Hoffert said; he cautioned that future funding levels for 2025–26 are not yet known. Board members thanked Hoffert for implementing a multi‑year plan and noted the program closes out a three‑year strategic goal on safety upgrades.
Board members asked about similar systems in other Berks County districts and about how visitor profiles and ID scanning interact with background checks; Hoffert said similar technologies are used in other facilities, that the district chose Navigate360 for suite integration, and that the system can check IDs against criminal registries such as sex‑offender lists.
No board action was taken on the presentation; the update was informational and the board approved related operational contracts and budget items later in the meeting.
