Visitor Procedures
To ensure the safety and security of all students, staff members, and visitors to Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District (PYLUSD) campuses, the District has implemented the following visitor procedures. These are district-wide procedures, and all visitors to any PYLUSD campus are required to adhere to the outlined measures listed below:
1. Plan ahead: If you are planning to visit a classroom or other area of any PYLUSD campus during the school day, you should call the school office and pre-register for an appointment prior to the date of the visit. Absent an emergency, requests to meet with a classroom teacher or staff member should be made at least three (3) days prior to the visit. The administrative team will ascertain the purpose of such visits. The administrative team may require such requests to be made in writing. Parents/guardians who are dropping off items for a student in the front office, and who will not be proceeding into the building, may do so without advance registration.
2. Parking: Prior to campus entry, please ensure that vehicles are parked in designated visitor spaces. Do not leave vehicles parked or standing in fire lanes (designated by red curbing), bus lanes, or spaces not designated for visitor parking.
3. Entrance: Upon arrival at the school, enter through the designated visitor/main entrance and report to the front office staff.
4. Identify Yourself: You will be asked who you are here to visit and the nature of your visit prior to gaining entrance to the campus. If you are requesting to see or remove a student from a school, you must be an authorized parent or guardian, or have prior written authorization from a parent or guardian. The District reserves the right to deny an individual entry to any school when there is reason to believe that such individual’s presence would be detrimental to the operation of the school and the learning environment.
5. Photo ID and School Access Management (S.A.M.) Screening: In order to check in as a visitor on campus or release a student to your care, please bring your photo ID. Present your valid photo identification to a staff member. All visitors will be asked to verify their identity by showing staff a form of photo identification, such as a driver’s license or government issued ID card. The visitor’s ID card will be processed through the School Access Management (S.A.M.) system. It will allow schools and facilities to produce visitor badges, monitor volunteer hours, and electronically compare all visitors to California Megan’s Law and similar databases nationwide.
2. Parking: Prior to campus entry, please ensure that vehicles are parked in designated visitor spaces. Do not leave vehicles parked or standing in fire lanes (designated by red curbing), bus lanes, or spaces not designated for visitor parking.
3. Entrance: Upon arrival at the school, enter through the designated visitor/main entrance and report to the front office staff.
4. Identify Yourself: You will be asked who you are here to visit and the nature of your visit prior to gaining entrance to the campus. If you are requesting to see or remove a student from a school, you must be an authorized parent or guardian, or have prior written authorization from a parent or guardian. The District reserves the right to deny an individual entry to any school when there is reason to believe that such individual’s presence would be detrimental to the operation of the school and the learning environment.
5. Photo ID and School Access Management (S.A.M.) Screening: In order to check in as a visitor on campus or release a student to your care, please bring your photo ID. Present your valid photo identification to a staff member. All visitors will be asked to verify their identity by showing staff a form of photo identification, such as a driver’s license or government issued ID card. The visitor’s ID card will be processed through the School Access Management (S.A.M.) system. It will allow schools and facilities to produce visitor badges, monitor volunteer hours, and electronically compare all visitors to California Megan’s Law and similar databases nationwide.
If appropriate, individuals who are unable or refuse to provide an ID will be accompanied and/or escorted by an administrator to the place on campus that the person needs to go, and then back to the point where they sign-out. These individuals will be accompanied at all times. If this individual is a contractor, inspector, or vendor, entry will be refused and the company will be notified, as well as appropriate District staff.
6. Special Events During the School Day: If parents/guardians wish to participate in special events in their student’s classroom between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 3:45 p.m., the parent/guardian is asked to schedule this directly with the teacher and/or the administrative team. Parents/guardians are asked to respect the decision of the PYLUSD staff on the frequency, duration, and type of visits that the teacher will approve, based on the teacher’s knowledge of the needs of the students in his/her classroom.
7. Classroom Observations: If you wish to observe in a classroom, someone from the administrative team is required to accompany you to the class and stay for the duration of the observation. Please schedule these at least three (3) days in advance with the respective school’s administrative team.
8. Wear Your Visitor Badge at All Times: The visitor badge must be displayed and visible at all times during your visit. For the safety of students, staff, and other visitors, please be aware that our staff members have been trained to approach and question visitors who are on campus and not wearing an ID badge.
9. Leaving the Building: At the completion of your visit, you will be required to check back in at the front desk to return your visitor badge and sign out as a visitor.
Please note, if any staff member becomes aware that an individual is in a school without having received permission, the staff member must either direct the individual to the administrative office or notify the principal, depending on the circumstances.
In PYLUSD, we understand that your time is valuable; this process may take a few minutes to complete. Please plan to present your ID every time you visit the school. Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we continue to enhance our safety and security procedures to better serve our school community.