Back to School: 6 Benefits of Access Control Systems for Schools

Safety and security are top priorities in our schools. As students head back to class this fall, administrators and educators are faced with the evolving challenge of providing secure access to authorized personnel and guests, while keeping unauthorized people out of the building.

Maintaining security has never been simpler with today’s access control systems for schools, maintaining security has never been simpler. In this blog post, we look at 6 ways these systems can increase safety across the entire school district.

1) Simple, secure access for teachers and staff

There’s no longer a need to constantly redistribute keys or spend resources on complicated key management. Today’s access control systems for schools allow your teachers and staff to enter the building with electronic key fobs, key cards/badges or even their smartphones. With some systems, you don’t even have to remove your phone from your pocket. This makes entry a lot smoother, more efficient and more secure.

2) Track who’s in the school

Access control systems make it easy to monitor who is entering the building and when. This is especially valuable for situations in which you need to know who was in the school during an incident such as theft, whether it happens during the school day or after hours. In emergency lockdown situations, it also helps to make sure all personnel are accounted for.

3) Safe access for parents and guests

During the school day, most schools are locked to prevent access from the outside. This is also true for many preschools and daycare centers, which remain locked at all times for even greater security. So how do parents enter to drop off or pick up their kids? With access control systems in place, parents can enter the same way as other authorized personnel: with keyless fobs, cards or by entering their personal code on the keypad.

4) 2-way communication

Access control systems can also be integrated with intercom systems and video cameras to allow for easy 2-way communication between guests and personnel inside the school. This is useful for deliveries or other situations in which parents or guests do not have a key fob or code.

5) Track attendance

If desired, your entire student body can have key cards to ensure that no unauthorized persons are entering the school. In addition to the enhanced security, this also provides a simpler means of tracking attendance and having record of who was in the building at any given time.

6) Multi-room / building management

Access control isn’t limited to a single exterior door. These systems can be used to control access through the entire building or even the entire district. For example, science teachers may need special access to rooms where chemicals are stored. Approved personnel can use the same key fob, card or device to access these rooms as they use to enter the school. The same goes for administrators who need to travel to different schools during the day. Managing access is simple, allowing personnel to be granted approval for different buildings or rooms with just a few clicks.

Learn more about access control systems for schools

Find out how your school can benefit from an access control system from PROTECTION PLUS. Contact us today for a free consultation.