Kristina De Leon / WOAI San Antonio - 4/16/2008

The program requires all parents and visitors to check in at the front office and have their license scanned. (News 4) A local school district has a new way to keep kids safe.

The Judson School District has launched a program called V*soft. The program requires all parents and visitors to check in at the front office and have their license scanned.

"When a parent comes in, we ask them for their ID," said Judson parent volunteer Peggy Lares. The ID is then put through a scanning machine.

"What we do is we type in where they're going, their destination, if they have a conference, library, cafeteria, wherever they're going," Lares explained.

The computer software searches a nationwide database to see if that person is a registered sex offender. "Knowing that they have something that's a little more secure for them is extremely important," said parent Betty Aleman. "And it kinda eases my mind a little bit."

Judson's 22 campuses and the district offices now have the system.

Each system costs around $1500 to set up.

"You can find out anything about anybody," said parent Pablo Contreras. "You never know who you know, who can be an offender."

If an offender shows up on the system, the principal is immediately alerted via text message and e-mail. From there, the person may have to leave campus or be escorted by a school staff member.