Raptor Technologies, Inc. V-Soft System - Irving ISD

Raptor Technologies, Inc.
V-Soft System

The District now employs the use of the V-Soft visitor registry program at all campus sites. This program is designed to help campus administrators maintain positive identification of all visitors and to identify those individuals who are listed as Registered Sexual Offenders (RSO) who might desire to enter one of our schools.

A good many questions have been posed relative to this program. Please take a moment to review this list of frequently asked questions to gain a better understanding of our objectives in using this system. If after you peruse the list you don’t find an answer to your question, call or e-mail J. Pat Lamb, Director of Security and Operations for the district. His telephone number is 972.261.5103 and his e-mail address is plamb@irvingisd.net.

V-Soft Security

Thank you!
Irving ISD Safety & Security Department

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. How does the system work?

Our visitors present a valid state or government issued photo identification card to the school’s receptionist. This ID is scanned into the V-Soft system and the personal information from the ID is cross-referenced against names of Registered Sexual Offenders (RSO) in a database maintained by Raptor Technologies, Inc. Within moments, the receptionist will know if the visitor is an RSO. If this is the case, then guidelines are in place to positively engage the visitor and consider the validity of the request to visit the school. If this is not the case, then the V-Soft system will print out a visitor’s pass which includes the person’s name, photo, date of visit, and destination within the building.

2. Who manufactures the V-Soft system?

Raptor Technologies, Inc. is the manufacturer of this system. You can learn more about the company at http://www.raptorware.com.

3. By what authority can the district require that a visitor present identification before entering a school?

Section 37.105 of the Texas Education Code reads as follows: “The board of trustees of a school district or its authorized representative may refuse to allow a person without legitimate business to enter on property under the board's control and may eject any undesirable person from the property on the person's refusal to leave peaceably on request. Identification may be required of any person on the property.”

As well, Section 38.022 of the Texas Education Code reads:

(a)  A school district may require a person who enters a district campus to display the person's driver's license or another form of identification containing the person's photograph issued by a governmental entity.

(b)  A school district may establish an electronic database for the purpose of storing information concerning visitors to district campuses. Information stored in the electronic database may be used only for the purpose of school district security and may not be sold or otherwise disseminated to a third party for any purpose.

(c)  A school district may verify whether a visitor to a district campus is a sex offender registered with the computerized central database maintained by the Department of Public Safety as provided by Article 62.005, Code of Criminal Procedure, or any other database accessible by the district.

(d)  The board of trustees of a school district shall adopt a policy regarding the action to be taken by the administration of a school campus when a visitor is identified as a sex offender.

4. What Board policy governs how visitors gain access to a school?

Board policy GKC (Local) serves as a guide at this point.

5. If a person is identified by V-Soft as an RSO, will that person be allowed into our schools?

If the system identifies a person as an RSO, the Principal of the school, along with the School Resource Officer, and other senior district administrators, will immediately receive an alert message from V-Soft on their cell phone and/or e-mail. The Principal and the School Resource Officer would invite the person into a private office to understand the need for the visit. If the Principal agrees to the visit, the person would receive a visitor’s pass and then be escorted to his/her destination. The entire visit would be closely monitored.

6. What types of identification are acceptable to be used in the V-Soft system?

The following IDs are known to work within the system: Texas Driver License; State ID Card; Concealed Handgun License; Military ID; Government ID; Mexico Driver License; Mexico Consulate ID; Canada Driver License; and, Alien Registration Receipt Cards. This list is not meant to be exhaustive, or to exclude other forms of valid state or government issued photo identification cards. If another form of ID is presented, we will evaluate its use for the V-Soft system.

7. If I show my Texas Driver License, does Raptor maintain a picture of my license in its database?

No, Raptor only keeps the identifying information from the license, such as name, date of birth, photo, and address; once obtained, it discards the picture of the license. Raptor also keeps the DL number in the event law enforcement should need assistance in identifying a visitor to our campus. If a person rejects to allowing Raptor to maintain the DL number, an alternate form of photo identification can be used. Please refer to number 6, above, for acceptable forms of identification.

8. Do I have to present my photo ID each time I enter a school?

A visitor will need to present the photo ID on the initial visit at each school visited. With subsequent visits, the receptionist will simply enter your name; other pertinent information will be displayed from the system’s memory. It is important to note that even though a visitor does not have to provide the photo ID with subsequent visits to the same school, before a visitor’s pass is printed out the V-Soft system will check the name against its updated database of Registered Sexual Offenders. It is also important to remember that if, for any reason, announced or not, a principal wants to require photo ID for all visitors, this will be strictly enforced.

9. What if I don’t have a district-approved photo ID; can I still get into the school?

It depends on the purpose of your visit. A campus administrator will evaluate the purpose for the visit and make a determination. If granted, the visit will be monitored and limited solely to the area where you need to go. Before entering the school, you will be asked to provide your first and last name, as well as your date of birth; this information will be manually entered into the V-Soft system and scanned against the RSO database. Assuming clearance, a visitor’s pass will be issued.

10. What if a vendor or contractor attempts to gain entrance and is found to be on the Registered Sexual Offender list; will he be given access to the school?

No. He will be directed to contact the Director of Security for further instructions.

11. What about delivery trucks who deliver to the kitchen dock; will those people have to go through the V-Soft system?

No, unless they have a need to go beyond the kitchen area; then they would be escorted by kitchen staff to the front office to go through the system.

12. What if I just need to drop off something for my child at the front office; would I need to go through the system?

Any and all visitors who will interact with any students, for whatever reason, will be entered into the system. If a parent should simply drop off something for the student without interacting with him/her, then the parent would not be entered into the system.

13. What about after-school events that are held in the school; can a parent or legal guardian who has been previously identified through the system as a Registered Sexual Offender go to such an event?

Yes, assuming they have informed the principal of the school that they will be in attendance. It is our expectation that this visitor will be monitored by school administrators while in the school.

14. What if I’m on the Registered Sexual Offender list; can I expect to interact with my child and partner with the district in educating him/her?

Yes, assuming you do not have a court-order restricting access into the school. You will need to check in with the receptionist upon arrival. A school administrator will visit with you to confirm the purpose of your visit. After this, you should expect that your visit will be monitored in its entirety.