At our school there is a guard at the entrance. Once you leave the kids and they close the gate you have to buzzed in to get inside. You have to log your name and the reason for your visit.
If you take a child out (doctor's appointment or that he is sick) you have to fill out a form and submitted to the guard.
Our school is a private school and not that big so everyone kind of know each other.
Owen's preschool is at a church there is his class on Tuesday. The pre-k classes on Mon and Wed then toddler class on Friday. I believe they lock the main doors if there are not church members there but usually there is someone always in the church office.
I will answer your other questions though for Bryce's school.
Is the preschool or any school where your child is attending locked down all day? Bryce's school is on lock down.
Do you have to be buzzed in? Yes, you buzz and they can see you through a camera in the office.
Can you walk right in? Nope. They will unlock after they see you through the camera.
If you can walk right in, is there a office right as you enter with someone to greet you? The office is right as you walk in and you must walk through the office to enter the schools. They keep the other set of doors after you walk through the main ones locked down as well so you are seen and talked to before you are aloud to enter the school.
Meghan goes to a Catholic Preschool and you have to enter a code at the door to enter.
We have to sign a sheet in the morning stating who will be picking them up. If it's not mom or dad, the person needs to have photo ID. And if it says mom, dad can not pick them up (I guess without a phone call and approval from mom) and visa versa.
emily is in a public elementary school. you have to be buzzed in to get in the building. there is security there waiting inside the door. they sign you in, you get a badge and go to the office right there.
jake's school is a daycare. we have the electronic swipe cards to get entrance to the exterior door and the lobby door to access the building. you also need access back into the building from the playground, etc.
The kids daycare has a locked gate at the entrance and you have to be buzzed in. You enter right at the office and the baby room door is right there. They are very vigilent and it is small enough that they know all the parents and common picker uppers.
We have to give a list of who has pick up rights (general - they could pick up any time - for example in an emergancy. If they didn't know you already from another visit, they'd have you show id) and otherwise you'd have to tell the teacher in the morning who would be picking them up. They also have no problem calling you if they think there is an issue.
Kayin's school is a public preschool. The main front doors are unlocked. The office is the first door to the right inside the lobby. You're supposed to sign in before going to classrooms, but I'm sure that doesn't happen all the time, as ECFE classes are also held there.
Braydon's school is a charter school in a church. The front door of the church is always open. The school's front door is open but you have to walk through the office to get into the building.
I am conducting my own little survey and wondered if everyone would share with me.
Is the preschool or any school where your child is attending locked down all day?
Do you have to be buzzed in?
Can you walk right in?
If you can walk right in, is there a office right as you enter with someone to greet you?
Both Mark's preschool and Henry's school are on lockdown.
At Mark's preschool (which is at my church where I work also), only the preschool hallway is locked down, except for the 15 (or 30?) minutes around dropoff and pickup. There is a buzzer by each door that you have to press, then announce who you are--if anyone is in the director's office at the time. Otherwise, you just can't get in. I guess you'd have to call the preschool office on the phone to get in there if needed.
I have a badge that will unlock the door in the section of the building where Mother's Day Out is but it won't even open the preschool hallway door.
At Henry's elementary school, you have to press a buzzer by the door and state your business before they'll let you inside. Then the office is right inside the door. If you are going to be staying at the school, you have to get a nametag printed from their computer with your picture on it.
No real security at Mason's school. There is a front gate, but it's not locked during school hours. It really just serves to keep the kids from getting out into the parking lot. But the office is right in front of the gate, so the directors can see everyone who walks up. I've never been concerned about safety there. The directors and all the teachers know who I am and who Mason is, because he started there under unusual circumstances (when I was on bedrest), and because he's part-time and most of the kids are full time. And because he's insane, LOL.
The kids in his class know Evie's name, and they call me "Mason's mom". :)
I can walk right in at any time, and I have, when I've forgotten to bring Mason's lunch or whatever.
There is one door that is open during pick up and drop off times. There is a receptionist for the church whose desk is there at that door, and the pastor's office is also by that door. They keep it locked the rest of the day, but someone is always right there if you need to get in. The other main entrance to the church is kept locked.
No real security though-it is a small church, and as far as I know, there have never been any problems there. And all of the teachers get to know all of the moms (it is small), so there has never been an issue with needing badges or anything.
Lucas' elem school you have to walk in the door right in front of the office. You are supposed to go in the office and sign in and get a sticker. Honestly ANYONE could sign in and get a sticker and wander the school.
The girls preschool is at a church. The main entrance has teachers standing at the drop-off. They also have security cameras monitoring everyone who enters the building. Once you get to the preschool section there is one door open and the front office is there as you enter. There is always a director or asst director standing there greeting everyone. They know who most everyone is and greet every child by name.
Classrooms are not on lockdown.
At pick up you can walk right in but only a parent or designated person can pick up. The teachers will not let anyone else pick up a child without written permission and proof of ID. I've never had anyone else get the kids so I don't know who that would really go down.
I was wondering what the norm was in other preschools/schools.
Our preschool is locked always. In the morning there is a drop off and teachers get the kids out of the cars. You can park and walk your child in.
We all have car # for pick-up or you have to wait outside to pick up. You can go in and that is not a problem, but they prefer you do not stand outside the classrooms. You can go to the school/rooms anytime, but must be buzzed in, so they know at all time who is in the building.
The big school is a bit different, but we are currently changing it and that is why I asked. I wanted to see what other schools do. Most schools here are locked and you cannot just walk in.
Late to the party, but we have a code to get in (every parent has a different one). Once in, there is a foyer with a receptionist desk, a computer to sign your kid in/out, and the video monitors to observe the kids in the classes. From the foyer, there is a wide hallway with the classrooms on each side, they all have windows. There is always an admin person either at the reception desk or in the hallway.
