From a simple press of a buzzer to the incorporation of a complex background check system, security at MHS has noticeably adapted to modern influences.

Featuring a state of the art background check hallmark, the system allows for one to complete a full background check on incoming visitors, according to Junior Principal Carl Hudson.

The system, manufactured by Elliott Data Systems, is a first for the Rockwood School District, MHS being the pilot school. If deemed advantageous, the system will spread to other schools in the area allowing for a more safely guarded learning environment.

Visitors wishing to enter the school during the busy hours of 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. are required to swipe a current driver’s license, allowing for the system to quickly verify whether the individual is permitted to enter the school through a concise background check.

“When visitors come in, sometimes, they’re on a list where they’re banned from being on our campus, this system allows us to check for that,” Hudson said. “There are some people that are on the national sex offender registry list, and this also does background checks on that.”

The system presents a variety of useful features, some of which haven’t been put to use by the administration as of yet. For instance, id cards issued by the new system include the feature of putting the visitor’s picture on the badge.

“This system has more features in it and allows us to do a lot more things to enhance our safety,” Hudson said. “With the previous one, we would have to write down the data but this one automatically inputs all the data by itself.”

As time progresses, so will the level of safety the system provides as more features are discovered and MHS becomes more secure.

“Just like anything else, it’s new, there’s still bugs, and there’s still features we haven’t used yet,” Aaron Luttrell, hall monitor, said. “But compared to the previous system, the new one is a lot better.”

The new advancement in school safety, to some, reflects MHS’s quick ability to adopt new ideas.

“I can tell you that school districts tend to move very slowly but Marquette, in my opinion, jump on ideas a lot sooner than other schools do, not just in Rockwood but in the area,” Office Joe Early said. “They’re pretty proactive on a lot of things, which is pretty impressive to me, more so than other schools in the district and other school districts all together.”