Written By: Brad Campbell | January 17, 2025
In response to the continued prevalence of active threat incidents in schools nationwide, schools and districts are reassessing security measures, especially when it comes to preventing unauthorized entry.
Unauthorized entry poses significant risks to the physical safety of students and staff, making it essential for schools to adopt robust access control technologies and procedures that safeguard campuses against potential threats.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore how school security and access control go hand in hand, providing you with actionable steps you can take to implement effective access control strategies for school properties.
School access control systems play a central role in managing and monitoring who enters and exits school buildings and other areas on school property. These systems not only deter unauthorized individuals from entering but also streamline daily operations, ensuring that only authorized staff, students, and visitors gain access to a school’s facilities.
Effective access control in schools can:
Implementing modern access control and school security measures and best practices is a way for educational institutions to proactively address vulnerabilities, ultimately creating a safer, more secure learning environment.
The first line of defense against unauthorized access is a secure perimeter and entry points, including doors and windows.
Schools should consider installing forced entry-resistant, or even bullet-resistant security glazing on all vulnerable glass doors and windows to prevent forced entry and protect against active threats.
When you reinforce school doors and windows with these access denial barriers, it prevents intruders from bypassing secure entryways by breaking a pane of glass and unlocking a door from the inside.
Additionally, schools should designate a single point of entry for all students, staff, and visitors. Directing everyone to enter the facilities through a single monitored entry reduces the risk of unnoticed intrusions.
Implementing these physical school security access control measures helps educational institutions maintain better control over who enters the premises.
Modern technology-driven identification systems ensure that only authorized individuals have access to school facilities through approved entryways. For example, keycard-controlled doors provide students, faculty, and other authorized personnel with secure entry while maintaining digital logs for auditing.
Alternatively, biometric scanners, including fingerprint and facial recognition systems, or mobile (smartphone-based) credentials can add an even more secure layer of access control, making it nearly impossible for intruders to bypass locked entryways (by getting ahold of someone’s keycard, for example).
Lastly, all schools should implement a rigid visitor management system, requiring visitors to check in using a valid ID so administrative staff always know who is on school property and can easily recognize someone who isn’t supposed to be there.
Overall, these school security access control systems make it easier to track and manage access while deterring unauthorized entry.
Integrating video surveillance and alarm systems with access control offers schools comprehensive security coverage. These systems work together to provide real-time monitoring and immediate alerts, ensuring a proactive response to potential threats.
For instance, high-resolution cameras with motion detection and connected alarms can instantly notify security personnel of unusual behavior or breaches of restricted areas.
Surveillance footage, combined with alarm event logs, also provides incident recording and analysis opportunities, which can aid in post-event investigations and improve future threat mitigation strategies.
Integrating surveillance and alarm systems with access control in schools also allows security personnel or school resource officers to visually cross-check identities, enhancing accuracy and accountability.
This combined approach to school security and access control boosts situational awareness, minimizes response times, and adds a critical layer of defense to school security systems.
Comparison of Key School Security Access Control Strategies
| Strategy | How It Works | Key Benefits | How It Supports Other Measures |
| Physically Secure Entry Points | Reinforces doors and windows with forced entry- or bullet-resistant glazing; funnels all access through a single monitored entry. | - Prevents intruders from breaking glass to gain entry- Creates a strong first line of defense- Reduces number of access points to monitor | Strengthens identification and surveillance by ensuring people only enter through secured, monitored areas. |
| Advanced Identification Systems | Uses keycards, biometrics, and visitor management systems to control and log who enters school facilities. | - Ensures only authorized staff, students, and visitors gain access- Provides digital access logs for auditing- Deters unauthorized entry attempts | Works with secure entry points by adding a second layer of verification; integrates with surveillance for identity cross-checks. |
| Integrated Video Surveillance & Alarms | Connects high-resolution cameras, motion detection, and alarms with access control systems for real-time monitoring and alerts. | - Provides immediate detection of threats or breaches- Enables rapid emergency response- Offers incident recording for investigations | Enhances both secure entry and ID systems by verifying identities visually and alerting staff if someone attempts to bypass security barriers. |
Access control technology alone is not enough. Schools must also develop and enforce clear policies to complement access control measures.
Periodic assessments of school security systems, including access control measures, help identify vulnerabilities and ensure systems are functioning optimally. These audits should cover physical barrier strength, technology updates, and procedural adherence, among other things.
Educating students and staff on school security and access control protocols is also crucial. Training should cover:
With everyone well-informed and prepared, your school’s access control measures will be more effective!
Establishing strict visitor protocols ensures accountability and awareness. Schools should require:
These steps ensure that visitors are easily identifiable and monitored, making it easier to immediately identify unauthorized or suspicious individuals.
School Security Access Control Policies at a Glance
| Policy | What It Involves | Key Benefits | How It Strengthens Access Control |
| Regular Security Audits | Scheduled reviews of barriers, tech systems, and procedures to identify weaknesses and ensure optimal performance. | - Detects and fixes vulnerabilities early- Keeps systems updated and reliable- Ensures compliance with safety standards | Supports all other measures by maintaining system integrity and readiness. |
| Staff & Student Training | Teaching proper use of credentials, recognizing threats, reporting incidents, and practicing drills. | - Builds awareness and preparedness- Improves emergency response- Encourages shared responsibility | Maximizes the effectiveness of technology by ensuring people know how to respond correctly. |
| Visitor Protocols | Requiring ID check-in, issuing badges, limiting access, and escorting visitors where needed. | - Creates accountability- Makes unauthorized individuals easier to spot- Reduces chance of unnoticed entry | Complements secure entry systems by ensuring every non-student or staff member is verified and tracked. |
In some cases, community involvement can positively contribute to the effectiveness of access control measures.
Partnering with parents, law enforcement, and even local security industry businesses can provide schools with additional resources and support. For example, parent volunteers can assist with monitoring during high-traffic times, such as during drop-off and pick-up times or special events.
Additionally, schools can collaborate with local law enforcement or private security companies for training sessions or hire on-site resource officers or security guards to increase security presence. Such collaborations foster a collective commitment to mitigating school safety issues!
Protecting schools in today’s high-risk security climate requires a layered school security and access control strategy. When schools combine physically secure entry points with advanced identification systems and integrated video surveillance, they create a strong, interconnected defense that significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized entry and increases day-to-day safety.
Riot Glass school security solutions provide educational facilities with the ability to reinforce vulnerable doors and windows, one of the most critical access control measures, without the need for full-scale glass replacements. Hardening your school windows and doors with Riot Glass gives staff, students, and parents greater peace of mind while ensuring your broader access control systems can work to their fullest potential.
Contact us today to learn how Riot Glass can help your school build a safer, more resilient learning environment.
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