The Upper School security team will enforce a new visitor screening system starting Jan. 6 after initial testing in the weeks leading up to winter break.
The visitor screening process will require all guests on campus to provide identification, which will then be cross-referenced with the National Sex Offender Registry and FBI databases to look for any possible matches. Once guests are cleared and entered into the system, they will then be given a visitor pass, and all future visits will only require a photo taken by security because the system automatically recognizes the guest. Faculty and staff will have access to a website where they can pre-register their guests and notify security in advance of any expected visitors.
In addition, faculty and staff will now be required to display rear view mirror placards on their vehicles which will replace the smaller stickers previously used for faculty and staff vehicle identification.
Head of Communications and Strategic Initiatives Ari Engelberg ’89 said the updates were not initiated by security concerns but by the high volume of guests on both campuses and shifting priorities of campus security.
“Given the number of visitors to our campuses, we felt it appropriate to upgrade our systems to better track and screen guests,” Engelberg said. “We recognize that the security environment around schools has changed quite a bit in the last 20 years, and we occasionally make our own changes based on evolving needs.”
Engelberg said the new placards will help security quickly identify which guests must be screened.
“One advantage of the placards beyond parking enforcement is that when they are hanging from the rearview mirror, our security guards can recognize right away who belongs on campus or is a guest that needs to be stopped and processed using the new system,” Engelberg said. “It makes it easier for security to see who belongs on campus and who doesn’t.”
Director of Operations Dave Mintz ’87, who collaborated with Engelberg to create the changes, said the purpose of the added security measures is to ensure the safety of everyone on campus during the school day.
“Many of our peer schools have also instituted similar policies and systems in recent years,” Mintz said. “It’s to everyone’s benefit that we know that visitors to campus have legitimate business here and that people are not just stopping by.”
Raya Soper ’26 said she appreciates the safety considerations of the school but finds the new system to be an added complication.
“The new changes like the mandatory background check for all visitors will make me feel safe on campus,” Soper said. “However, I feel like the new process would add an extra layer of stress to check in a visitor onto campus although I do appreciate the school’s dedication to safety.”
