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Derby Board approves pilots for SlideSoft threat‑assessment tool and Hall Pass visitor system
Summary
Board approved no‑cost pilots for SlideSoft (behavioral threat assessment integrated with Skyward and the Columbia risk assessment) at Derby High and Hall Pass visitor/hall‑pass software at Derby Hills Elementary; administration will return with feedback and cost estimates if adopted districtwide.
The Derby Board of Education voted Sept. 22 to authorize pilots of two safety and operations software tools aimed at improving threat assessment workflows and visitor efficiency.
Becky Mader, assistant superintendent of human resources, asked the board to pilot SlideSoft at Derby High School and Hall Pass at Derby Hills Elementary. Mader said SlideSoft offers an electronic workflow for the district's behavioral threat assessment team and can incorporate the Columbia risk assessment instrument. She said SlideSoft will integrate with Skyward so student records and notifications can be tracked across buildings.
"It allows your behavioral threat assessment team ... to see the evidence," Mader said, describing the app's ability to centralize records. The district plans training for staff who will use the app during the pilot.
Hall Pass, Mader said, is proposed as a replacement for the district's current visitor check‑in (Safe Visitor) at elementary schools; the pilot would include kiosks and aim to improve efficiency during high‑traffic events. Both pilots are being offered at no initial cost; if the district later recommends wider adoption, staff will return with required equipment and vendor pricing.
Board members asked technical and privacy questions about device use, Skyward integration and pilot duration. A board member asked whether staff would use personal cell phones; Mader said the tool works across devices and that training and device options are part of pilot planning. The district said the pilots will run through the current school year and staff will return with recommendations for implementation and costs.
A motion to approve the pilots passed unanimously (7–0). The administration will gather feedback during the pilot and present recommendations to the board for any districtwide adoption.
