New ID scanners increase elementary school safety

JACKSON, Tenn — Jackson-Madison County elementary schools have a new way of knowing exactly who is coming into their classrooms, thanks to a new ID scanning system.

“It pulls up immediately if they’re a sex offender; If they have any warrants,” Andrew Jackson Elementary principal Ramonica Dorsey said. “It’s a red flag if they do and they wouldn’t be allowed in the building.”

Dorsey said in the first month of the new system her school hasn’t had any red flags raised, but called it peace of mind for their school.

“We love volunteers in our building and our schools but we went to make sure that they’re safe,” Dorsey explained. “We just want to make sure that our teachers are safe as well as our students.”

School officials said it cost roughly $20,000 dollars to implement the ID check system in all the elementary schools in the school system.

That’s extra security that parents say its worth the cost.

“I think it will be good. It’s protection for all our kids at school,” parent Katherine McKnight said. “It’s something less for us to have to worry about while they’re in the classroom.”

“I think its a great thing for the school system because there’s so much stuff that goes on in the schools,” grandparent Willie Jones said. “Any kind of safety they can bring for our children and grandchildren, I think is a great idea.”

“It gives the parents a piece of mind,” parent Donasha Mosley said. “I believe it give the staff piece of mind of who is coming in and out of the school.”

School system officials say they hope to have the ID scanners in all of their schools eventually, hopefully for the 2016-2017 school year.