Pixley Union School District is in a rural area in California's Central Valley, one of the world's most affluent agricultural areas. The district's enrollment is currently 890 students enrolled in two schools – Pixley Elementary (TK-5) and Pixley Middle School (6-8).
access points
users across eight user groups
Since adopting Salto in 2021, Pixley Union School District has saved considerable time and money by cutting the need to replace lost keys and rekey locks. The Salto solution has also enhanced our operations, providing greater flexibility for our programs. Previously, we hesitated to offer after-school activities with childcare due to the need to physically issue general keys that didn’t restrict access. Additionally, employees had to be present to manage key check-ins and check-outs. Now, we can provide digital access, restricting entry to specific areas and ensuring everyone stays where they are supposed to be.
Original discussions with Joe Buist from Salto Systems and Bryan Quesinberry from S3 Reps helped us to understand the challenges that Pixley Unified School District was facing. Joel Munoz and the Pixley team were able to gain a greater understanding of the options available to them and the variety of ways to potentially engineer their system using Salto. One of the key goals achieved was going keyless while allowing them to receive the timely audits they needed. We are very pleased to have worked with Joel and his operations team at Pixley Unified School District. We are happy with their positive outcome and that they have found Salto to be a solution that meets their operational goals and security needs.
Prior to 2021, the Pixley Union School District (USD) used mechanical keys for access throughout its schools and administration building. District Director of Maintenance and Operations Joel Munoz said that district leadership wanted to improve campus security by reducing the risk, time, and cost associated with replacing lost mechanical keys, and put infrastructure in place for the district to incorporate immediate lockdown capability in the future. Working with Bryan Quesinberry of S3 Reps, Munoz and his team selected Salto hardware and software products to provide electronic access solutions for Pixley USD.
Salto’s smart technology provides Pixley Union School District with centralized control and local flexibility allowing school administrators to simplify access management using just a single platform.
Pixley has deployed Salto XS4 Original+ electronic locking solutions on doors at building entrances and exits, office spaces, and classrooms, supported by Salto BLUEnet Gateways providing a direct and secured connectivity to Salto BLUEnet wireless network. The Salto gateway links PCs to the wireless network to collect access points data and extend SVN capabilities interoperability with Salto smart locking devices with more SVN credentials update points capacity with SVN-Flex technology.
Munoz and the team use the Salto ProAccess Space Management Software to manage the system which includes over 70 access points and 150 users across two schools and an administration building. Thanks to ProAccess Space now they can manage all workflows, access or processes from a single location and easily consult the audit trail or monitroize any access point from any operator terminal in real-time.
One of the primary reasons Pixley USD chose an electronic access control solution was to eliminate the risk associated with lost keys. Munoz said they have previously dealt with the aftermath of losing a master key which resulted in replacing every lock in an elementary school building! He said they continue to discover added benefits from the Salto electronic access solution including the ability to host after school childcare and activities outside of school hours. Since they can now provide limited and temporary access, they can be sure that only those people who have been authorized are in the building during these events. The electronic access system has also enhanced their yard duty supervision program by cutting the need to provide master keys. Previously, there was no way to ensure that individuals were only accessing authorized areas and not entering restricted spaces like teacher classrooms.
Munoz added they appreciate that the Salto solution can be implemented gradually, which was a key selling point. He said they also like that Salto offers the best hybrid solution.
“Salto functions efficiently as a standalone system. The network capabilities have been great as we bring more locks online using the BLUEnet gateways and nodes,” Munoz said.
For the future, as they continue to increase coverage across their campus buildings, Munoz said they will add immediate lockdown capability as well as integrations with video surveillance and fire alarms so that access can be linked to these important security functions.
- Eliminates risk associated with lost mechanical and master keys
- Allows the school district to offer after school activities with childcare as electronic access can manage scheduled door unlock times and temporary access
- Simplified management with improved access control and secure access
- Smart, connected, and a better user keyless experience
- Integration opportunities with other systems like fire alarm and video camera systems
- Establish infrastructure to incorporate future immediate lockdown capability in case of an emergency
- Fits any door, any access point with a complete hardware and electronic locking platform
Pixley Union School District is in a rural area in California's Central Valley, one of the world's most affluent agricultural areas. The district's enrollment is currently 890 students enrolled in two schools – Pixley Elementary (TK-5) and Pixley Middle School (6-8).
