New school sign-in technology could help ‘eliminate the clutter’

WELLSVILLE — Often, Cindy Paramino would find herself buried in her office’s paperwork.

But this year will be different for Paramino, a secretary at Wellsville Elementary School. It also will be different for others in the school — both those coming and going.

A new electronic student/visitor sign-in station at the front of the building, 218 Ash St., will eliminate some of the paperwork office staff has had to file and look after.

“It’s going to eliminate the clutter,” Paramino said.

The new program, called the Complete Campus Security System, is a product of Ident-A-Kid, a nationally used child identification program.

What the electronic sign-in station will do is allow students who arrive late to sign in and eliminate the paperwork required by the office staff for tardies, Paramino said. It also will be used to check students in and out for illnesses, field trips and sporting events.

Volunteers, substitute teachers, parents and others who visit the elementary school also will use the system, Principal Randall Renoud said.

Once a visitor signs in, a camera will take a picture and include it on a printed visitor badge, he said.

“The system also can check sign-in names with a sexual predator list,” he said. “It should help prevent congestion in the office for the staff.”

Even students being sent to the office for disciplinary issues won’t be left out of the sign-in station.

“Now, they will be logged into the office, even if I didn’t see them,” Renoud said.

The software for the system was donated to the school, while the school was responsible for purchasing a computer and the materials needed for the visitor badges, Renoud said.

Paramino said the office staff is excited to use the new system.

“It’ll take time to get used to,” she said. “Anymore, the kids are so computer-friendly, so it shouldn’t take them too long. It will probably take more time for parents and grandparents coming in.”

Jenalea Myers can be e-mailed at jmyers@ottawaherald.com.