The Hudson City School District is implementing new safety measures at all of our school buildings. In November 2018, each building will begin using the School Gate Guardian visitor management system. The new system is a computerized security program that offers many features to protect your child from outside threats (such as sex offenders and custodial issues).
Starting on November 26, 2018, all visitors will be required to show photo identification before entering our schools (during regular school hours). Each visitor will be screened using our new School Gate Guardian (SGG) visitor management system, which performs a simple background check.
The SGG system helps ensure the safety of our students by checking for sex offender status and potential custody issues. The system also maintains an accurate record of every visitor who enters our schools, making it easy to access and review visitor reports if needed.
Here’s how it works: 
- Photo ID: First, any visitor entering one of our district facilities will be required to provide photo identification (such as a driver’s license or a state-issued photo ID card).
- ID Scanning: A representative of the district will scan this ID using the latest in ID scanning technology. If your child’s school has chosen the School Gate Guardian Kiosk option, you will be required to scan your own ID (school staff will be available to assist you, if needed).
- Visitor Badges: The system will print a time-expiring visitor label for you to wear during your visit to our schools. As you leave our facility, please return your badge at the entrance you came in through so we can scan you out of the system.
The SGG system instantly captures the name, photo, and the birth date of the visitor and, when this successfully occurs, the software compares the identity of the visitor with the national sex offender registry. If a positive match occurs, district personnel will be immediately and discreetly alerted. (To prevent false positives, the system can compare a photograph of the actual registered sex offender to the visitor.)
Another feature the new visitor management system offers is the protection of your child from a spouse or former spouse with any type of custodial issue. Be it partial custody or no custody, if you provide the school with the proper court documents and the identity of your spouse, the software will alert district personnel of an attempted, non-authorized visit. The software will also help us identify approved guardians so you can be assured we are placing your children in the proper hands.
If you have any questions about how the new School Gate Guardian visitor management system is being implemented in your child’s school, please contact the appropriate school office:
- M.C. Smith Elementary School: 518-828-4360, ext. 1112
- Hudson Junior High School: 518-828-4360, ext. 8100
- Hudson Senior High School: 518-828-4360, ext. 3100
Click here to download the School Gate Guardian letter from Superintendent Suttmeier.