In this featured piece by WSAW, the outlet reports that all schools in the Wausau School District are now fully equipped with Visitor Aware, a visitor screening system developed by Madison-based Singlewire. The system requires visitors to take a photo, scan a state ID, and select their destination, after which a printed pass is issued to wear on their clothing. Interim Superintendent Cale Bushman said the district aims to balance safety with staying welcoming and inviting to visitors. The system uses facial recognition alongside ID scanning to screen visitors against sex offender registries, government watchlists, and court records.
Key Takeaways
- All schools in the Wausau School District are now fully equipped with Visitor Aware, a visitor screening system developed by Madison-based Singlewire.
- The system requires visitors to take a photo, scan their ID, and select a destination before receiving a printed pass to wear.
- Interim Superintendent Cale Bushman said the district chose the system based on positive feedback from families and office staff.
- Visitor Aware uses facial recognition alongside ID scanning to speed up the check-in process on repeat visits.
- Visitor Aware is used in more than a dozen school districts across Wisconsin and screens visitors against sex offender registries, government watchlists, and court records.
Original Story
School is officially back, and safety is always a priority. This year, all schools in the Wausau School District are fully equipped with a new security software called Visitor Aware.
This system, developed by Madison-based software company Singlewire, helps schools know who is visiting the schools and where they are.
Visitor Aware is simple, all you have to do is take a picture, scan your ID, click where you’re headed, and the system will print out a pass for you to wear on your clothes.
“Schools always have the challenge because we want to be as safe as we possibly can, but we also want to be welcoming and inviting,” Interim Superintendent Cale Bushman said.