Tumwater School District
117
square miles
13
schools
6,400
students
Background
Located near Mt. Rainier and Washington’s state capitol, Tumwater School District serves approximately 6,400 students across multiple campuses, including six elementary schools, four preschool programs, two middle schools, and three high schools.
As the Director of Technology, Dan Reich oversees the district’s technology infrastructure and provides solutions that align with the district's educational objectives. His team, including Network Specialist Nadine White and Help Desk Technician Jen Potter, keep the schools’ technology systems working as they should to support broader goals.
The Challenge
Before transitioning to Verkada, the district struggled with outdated security systems that required frequent maintenance and offered poor video quality. "Our old system was unreliable—cameras needed regular reboots and delivered grainy footage," says Dan.
More critically, one campus suffered from recurrent trespassing and fuel theft in a remote, wooded campus area. Intruders would cut through fences and siphon fuel from parked school buses and vans.
“After making their way through our fence, they would walk to where we parked our buses and vans, cut the fuel lines, and drain the gas from them.”
Why Verkada?
Verkada was selected for its simple, reliable, and natively integrated cloud-managed solutions. The deployment began with a trial of cameras and air quality sensors that quickly demonstrated Verkada’s value, leading to a district-wide rollout. The centralized Command platform resulted in real-time monitoring capabilities and faster incident response.
"We started small with a few cameras and immediately saw the benefits, prompting full-scale implementation," Dan recounts, "Verkada's all-in-one platform of cameras, sensors, and intercoms improved our security operations and usability among staff.”
Caught After-Hours Theft and Trespassers
"Our Verkada system played a crucial role in addressing the recurring issue of fuel theft,” Dan reports.
One Sunday morning, the four trespassers came on school grounds once more, attempting to steal fuel. This time, the CP52-E Multisensor camera detected unauthorized movement in the parking area.
The system swiftly alerted the buildings & grounds team via SMS, who watched the situation unfold remotely using Verkada's Command platform while contacting local law enforcement.
The footage captured four trespassers entering the premises at 3:20 AM. The timely alert enabled a rapid response, resulting in police apprehending one of the suspects.
"We can rest better knowing our school grounds are protected around the clock,” Dan says.
Support Incident Management and Response
Following the incident, Dan has archived the video clips in a single shareable repository. Verkada’s incident management tools allow for the consolidation of video evidence, streamlined investigations, and quick sharing of incident details with law enforcement.
“If we need to reference an incident, we can find everything in one place,” he adds, “The Person of Interest (POI) alerts also protect school grounds from repeat offenders.”
Maintain School Parking Lot Security
"The LPR cameras in our parking lots helped address unauthorized gatherings, vehicle misuse, and late-night activities,” notes Dan.
License Plate Recognition (LPR) cameras monitor school parking lots to prevent unauthorized gatherings and vehicle misuse. As added security, Vehicle of Interest (VOI) alerts can be set up for specific license plates.
Detect Vaping and Smoking
“The air quality sensors allow our staff to react quickly to vape alerts, helping us maintain a healthy atmosphere for students and faculty.”
Student vaping has become a nationwide epidemic in schools, but the Tumwater School District combats the issue with integrated air quality sensors. The sensors detect and curb vaping incidents by monitoring high-risk areas, such as bathrooms or locker rooms. A Verkada camera overlooking a hallway can be paired with a sensor to provide visual context over vape events without infringing on privacy.
Understand the Context of Fights
“We have visibility over hallways and common areas where students congregate, which provides objective video evidence for resolving altercations.”
The situational awareness offered by Verkada cameras helps staff discern the nature of an incident and promptly intervene. Understanding the context of student interactions – especially conflicts – helps maintain a safe and supportive atmosphere. By analyzing the footage, they can identify the participants in an incident and understand the sequence of events leading up to it.
Streamline Front Desk Management
Verkada Intercom supports entrance security and facilitates communication between visitors and staff, allowing them to answer calls remotely with four receiver methods. Tested in administrative settings, the Intercom has been an effective tool and met the high standards required for wider deployment throughout the district.
“Intercom allows for real-time verification of visitors before granting access, which is especially useful in a busy school setting,” notes Dan.
Results
Caught Fuel Thief: The grounds team was immediately notified of a theft in-progress, enabling a rapid response and police interception.
Real-Time Security Management: Administrators can monitor security footage and respond to incidents from anywhere through Command.
Improved Incident Response: Staff quickly address incidents such as trespassing, fighting, or vaping with immediate alerts sent to team members.
Enhanced Student Safety: Clear, high-quality video evidence objectively captures incidents and disputes.
Lowered Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): Reduced maintenance requirements, downtime, and associated costs.
Looking Ahead: Future-Ready Security
"We’re always looking for ways to improve and adapt our security measures to meet both current and future needs.”
Automatic software and firmware updates contain the latest features and security enhancements. With ongoing updates and new capabilities from Verkada, Tumwater is well-equipped to uphold high safety standards. "We’re excited about the future possibilities with Verkada, and we’ll continue to explore how new features can drive safety and efficiency.”
To learn more about Verkada for Schools, attend an upcoming webinar or request a live demo.