Modern, cloud-managed school security for K-12 schools and districts. Monarch helps you protect students and staff, accelerate emergency response, and safeguard student privacy — all from one platform, with no servers to manage.
Every student can learn, every educator can teach,and every family can feel confident their school is safe.
Legacy security systems are falling short of the rising safety needs of today's schools. Monarch helps K-12 organizations replace complex, siloed point systems with one cloud-managed school security platform — purpose-built to speed up investigations, strengthen emergency response, and give school leaders greater peace of mind, all while protecting student privacy and hardening cybersecurity.
Why schools choose Monarch.
One platform that unifies complex, siloed security systems — built for how schools and districts actually operate.
Experience a new level of simplicity. All your team needs is the hardware and a web browser; the management software updates automatically with no patching, no server room, and no surprise downtime. Administrators centrally manage every device and user from any browser or mobile device, and gain actionable insight from information that's integrated across cameras, doors, sensors, and alarms. Below are the capabilities school IT and safety leaders tell us matter most.
01
No NVRs or servers
Cameras record on-device and live in the cloud — no DVRs, NVRs, or video servers to maintain.
02
Facial recognition, privacy-first
AI facial recognition flags who needs attention, while live face blur keeps students anonymous.
03
AI search in seconds
Find a person, vehicle, color, or clothing across every camera in seconds — no scrubbing.
04
One-tap lockdown & remote unlock
Lock every door district-wide from a phone, and remotely unlock specific doors for responders.
05
Real-time alerts & live sharing
SMS, email, and push alerts in real time — plus share secure live video links with law enforcement.
06
Works during internet outages
Cameras keep recording locally during an outage and sync automatically when the internet returns.
07
Unlimited users, SSO & roles
Add everyone at no per-seat cost, with SSO (Okta, Microsoft) and granular role-based permissions.
08
Automatic updates & 24/7 support
Firmware and features update themselves automatically, backed by top-rated 24/7 support.
Owned, not rented
A one-time hardware cost, up to a 10-year warranty, and no per-user fees — built to own.
Defense in depth, from the parking lot to the classroom — built on the standards school-safety leaders already trust.
Effective school security isn't a single product — it's layers that reinforce each other. The Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) codifies this in its Safety and Security Guidelines (7th Edition, 2025), and CISA's K-12 School Security Guide builds its federal doctrine on the same idea of layered physical security. Monarch designs to that framework so nothing falls through the gaps between systems.
Most schools already have pieces of this in place — 93% of public schools use security cameras and 97% control building access during the day (NCES, 2021–22). The gap is rarely cameras or locks; it's that those systems don't talk to each other. A unified school security system closes that gap, so a vape alert, a door event, and the nearest camera all surface in one place.
93%
of U.S. public schools used security cameras to monitor the building
97%
controlled access to school buildings during school hours (locked or monitored doors)
62%
offered a structured, anonymous threat-reporting system
6%
used random metal-detector checks — most rely on cameras, access control, and alerting instead
Policies, people, and one platform across every campus
Effective school security starts above any single building. The district-wide layer is where you set the policies, assign the responsibilities, and choose the platform that every campus will share. Monarch unifies cameras, doors, sensors, and alarms from every school onto one cloud dashboard, so a superintendent or director of safety gets system-wide visibility while each principal keeps control of their own campus. Standardizing on one platform is what turns a patchwork of disconnected point systems — the reality at most districts — into a coordinated school security system that behaves the same way at every door.
One login for every school; run a district-wide search or push a policy change everywhere at once
Role-based permissions that mirror your org chart — superintendent, principal, SRO, front-office, IT
Consistent lockdown procedures, retention schedules, and visitor screening across every building
Layer 2
Digital infrastructure
Cybersecurity and student-data privacy as a security layer
Newly formalized in the PASS 7th Edition, the digital infrastructure layer recognizes that physical security now runs on the network — and a school security system that can be hacked is not secure. Monarch is cloud-managed and secure by default: there are no on-site NVRs or DVRs to breach, firmware and patches update automatically, and access is hardened with SSO, two-factor authentication, and SAML. Because school cameras and visitor records contain student data, the platform is built to support privacy obligations under FERPA, with encryption, configurable retention, role-based access, and audit logs.
No on-prem recorders to maintain or exploit — a common point of failure removed
SSO (Okta, Microsoft), 2FA, SAML, and enterprise-controlled encryption
Live face blur, privacy regions, and audit logs to help meet FERPA student-data obligations
Parking lots, grounds, and approach — see threats before they reach the door
The campus perimeter layer (which the PASS 7th Edition unified from the former property and parking-lot layers) is your earliest warning. AI-powered school security cameras watch parking lots, fields, gates, and pickup lines, and license plate recognition logs every vehicle and alerts a resource officer the moment a flagged plate approaches. For sprawling grounds or higher-ed campuses, cellular and Wi-Fi gateways extend coverage to spots that were never wired. The goal is simple: spot an unsafe vehicle or visitor while they're still in the lot, not once they're inside.
AI search finds a person, vehicle, color, or clothing across every camera in seconds
License plate recognition with a searchable, time-stamped vehicle log and flagged-plate alerts
Cellular / Wi-Fi gateways extend coverage to parking lots, gates, fields, and stadiums
Entrances, access control, and visitor management at every door
The building perimeter is where most schools concentrate their effort — and where 97% of public schools already control access during the day (NCES, 2021–22). Monarch's school access control replaces brass keys with mobile credentials, cards, and fobs you can issue or revoke instantly from the cloud, and automate on a schedule so doors lock themselves. Video intercom lets front-office staff see and speak with anyone at a locked entrance and buzz them in remotely, while digital visitor management screens guests against sex-offender and criminal databases and prints a badge — turning the front door into a real checkpoint rather than a propped-open liability.
Cloud-managed access control: mobile credentials, automatic door schedules, instant revocation
Video intercom for secure, touchless entry with remote unlock from the front desk
Visitor management with database screening, badge printing, and SIS integration
Lockdown, interior monitoring, and detecting what cameras can't
The innermost layer protects students where they spend the day. A campus-wide lockdown can be triggered in seconds from a phone, a desktop, or a physical panic button, instantly securing every door while administrators remotely unlock specific routes for arriving responders. Interior cameras add accountability in hallways and common areas with live face blur to keep uninvolved students anonymous, and because cameras don't belong in restrooms or locker rooms, air-quality sensors fill the gap — detecting vape, THC, and abnormal noise and sending instant alerts without recording anyone.
One-tap lockdown from phone, desktop, or panic button; remote unlock for first responders
Privacy-first interior cameras with live face blur and configurable privacy regions
Air-quality sensors detect vaping and distress in camera-free spaces like restrooms
Grounded in national school-safety standards
We design to the recognized frameworks so your investment holds up to a board, an insurer, or a grant reviewer. Start with the same free resources we do:
The authoritative source for the security-practice statistics cited above (2021–22 school year).
Everyday campus safety
Stay ahead of the threats schools face most.
Proactive alerts and AI give your team a head start — before a small problem becomes a crisis.
Most days, school safety isn't about a single dramatic event — it's the steady drumbeat of vaping in the bathrooms, unfamiliar visitors at the door, a fight forming in a stairwell, or a question that only last week's footage can answer. Monarch helps your team get in front of these everyday risks with always-on monitoring and instant, context-rich alerts that route to the people who can act.
Deter student vaping
Air quality sensors catch what cameras can't — and pair detections with hallway video for context, without putting cameras in private spaces.
Instant SMS alerts the moment vape is detected
Visual context from nearby cameras
Track vaping trends to find problem areas
License plate recognition
Keep watch over parking lots and pickup lines, and know the moment a flagged vehicle approaches campus.
Automatically capture and log plates with LPR
Build a searchable, time-stamped vehicle database
Alert resource officers when a flagged vehicle nears
Strengthen the perimeter
Spot unsafe visitors before they're inside, then screen anyone you admit and lock down after hours.
Person-of-interest alerts at the door via intercom
Screen visitors against sex offender & criminal databases
24/7 live-agent alarm monitoring with video verification
Speed up investigations
Find critical footage fast, then follow a person's path across the whole campus — with privacy kept front of mind.
Search by description or upload a photo
AI unified timeline plots a path on a floorplan
Blur uninvolved faces before saving or sharing
When seconds matter
Accelerate emergency response.
Coordinate with first responders, lock down in seconds, and standardize reunification — from the tools your team already carries.
In an emergency, every second of confusion costs you. Monarch gives administrators, school resource officers, and arriving law enforcement a shared, real-time picture of the campus — so the right doors open, the right doors stay locked, and families are reunited with their children through a process everyone has rehearsed.
Coordinate with law enforcement
Reduce response time by granting agency access or streaming camera footage straight to Real-Time Crime Centers via RTSP. Share live floorplans by SMS or link to reveal activity hotspots for officers on-site.
Trigger a one-tap lockdown
Initiate a campus-wide lockdown in seconds via desktop, mobile app, or a physical panic button. Remotely unlock specific doors for responders while keeping every other door secured.
Standardize reunification
After an incident or disaster, educators mark students accounted-for from their phones. Guardians then check in at the front office, where staff verify identity and facilitate a calm, orderly reunification.
Live face blur
Privacy-first by design
Protect students while you protect the campus.
Safety and privacy aren't a trade-off. Monarch's platform is built so you can monitor what matters and keep uninvolved students anonymous — by default, not as an afterthought. That makes it easier to satisfy parents, school boards, and policy requirements while still moving quickly when something goes wrong.
Live face blur anonymizes individuals during real-time monitoring, and selective blur protects bystanders when you export a clip for review.
Privacy regions let you black out sensitive areas — locker rooms, nurse's offices, neighboring property — so cameras never capture them.
Role-based access & audit logs ensure only authorized staff view footage, and every action is recorded for accountability.
You own your data. Footage is encrypted, retained on a schedule you set, and never sold or repurposed.
SSO · 2FA · SAML
Built for IT
Less to manage. More to trust.
School IT teams are stretched thin. Monarch removes the parts of physical security that used to eat their week — server maintenance, firmware patching, VPNs, and brittle on-prem recorders — and replaces them with a platform that's secure by default and updates itself.
No NVRs or DVRs. Cameras store footage on-device with up to 365 days of retention, eliminating a costly point of failure.
Hardened access. Deter threats with SSO, two-factor authentication, SAML, and enterprise-controlled encryption.
Automatic updates. New features and security patches roll out in the background — no maintenance windows.
Bandwidth-friendly. Efficient streaming and on-device storage keep school networks fast for teaching and testing.
Beyond safety
Run a smoother, smarter campus.
The same platform that keeps students safe also takes friction out of the front office and the parking lot.
Safer pick-ups & drop-offs
Keep watch over parking lots and nearby streets, capture the plates of unsafe drivers with license plate recognition, and alert resource officers when a flagged vehicle approaches.
Faster visitor check-ins
Streamline tardy tracking and early-dismissal sign-outs with digital visitor management that integrates with PowerSchool, Clever, and ClassLink. Returning guests check in by QR code in seconds.
Simplify badges & keycards
Automatically issue physical badges, fobs, and mobile credentials to new staff from the cloud — or instantly revoke them the moment someone leaves. Generate temporary credentials for visitors in a tap.
Track every delivery
Log package drop-offs with a simple mobile scan and automatically notify the right recipient — so deliveries stop piling up at the front desk and nothing goes missing.
Onboard staff in minutes
New team members download the mobile app and can find, save, and share footage within minutes. An intuitive interface means less training and fewer support tickets.
Plan with real data
Review historical footage from real events or safety drills, and analyze sensor trends to improve emergency planning, refine procedures, and brief your safety committee with evidence.
Capabilities in depth
Every part of a modern school security system.
Beyond the core layers, a complete school security system pulls in the systems schools ask about most — each one sharing the same cloud, the same login, and the same set of permissions.
School visitor management systems
Every adult who enters a school should be known before they reach a classroom. A modern school visitor management system replaces the paper sign-in sheet with a digital check-in that screens each guest against sex-offender and criminal databases, captures a photo, and prints a time-stamped badge — in seconds. Integrations with student information systems like PowerSchool, Clever, and ClassLink streamline tardy tracking, early-dismissal sign-outs, and approved-pickup verification, so the front office spends less time on paperwork and more time watching the door. Returning guests check in by QR code, and every visit is logged for accountability.
Real-time screening against sex-offender and criminal databases
SIS integration (PowerSchool, Clever, ClassLink) for tardies, dismissals, and guardian verification
Self-service kiosks, badge printing, and a complete, searchable visit log
Communications, alerting & lockdown
When something goes wrong, seconds matter — and the people who can act need to know instantly. Monarch ties intercom, mass notification, and lockdown into the same platform as your cameras and doors. A school intercom system handles everyday entry and all-call announcements; a school lockdown system secures every door at once and pushes alerts to staff phones, email, and on-screen; and integrations let you trigger an emergency notification system districtwide. Fire and life-safety alarms remain governed by code — work with a licensed installer to keep fire alarms for schools compliant with NFPA 72 — but cloud-managed intrusion alarms add professionally monitored, video-verified response that cuts false dispatches.
Video intercom + all-call announcements for everyday communication
One-tap lockdown with real-time SMS, email, and push alerts to the right people
Video-verified, professionally monitored intrusion alarms; fire alarms per NFPA 72 via a licensed installer
Detecting a threat early is the goal of every layer, and it's an area of rapid change. AI camera analytics can flag a brandished weapon and surface it to staff for review, while a structured anonymous reporting system — used by 62% of public schools (NCES, 2021–22) — captures the tips that often precede an incident. Monarch focuses on layered, evidence-based measures rather than single-point gadgetry: detection that pairs with cameras for visual context, alerts that route to people who can act, and a unified timeline that reconstructs events for investigators and law enforcement. We help you scope detection technology honestly, against your real risk profile and budget.
AI analytics flag potential weapons and unusual activity for human review
Anonymous tip reporting and instant, context-rich alerts to designated staff
AI unified timeline reconstructs a person's path across campus for investigators
Colleges, universities & large campuses
The same cloud platform scales from a single elementary school to a multi-building college campus. Campus security cameras and campus security solutions cover quads, residence halls, parking structures, and athletic venues, with cellular gateways reaching the places wiring never did. Higher-ed institutions carry added obligations — coordinating with campus police, supporting Clery Act reporting, and securing large events — and a unified platform makes that visibility and record-keeping far simpler than a patchwork of legacy systems.
District-wide visibility across many buildings, sites, and even cities from one login
Coverage for residence halls, parking structures, athletics, and large events
A unified record that supports campus police coordination and Clery Act reporting
Video security, access control, alarms, intercom, air quality sensors, and visitor management all share one system, one login, and one set of permissions. Start with the cameras you need today and add doors, sensors, or alarms whenever you're ready — every product talks to the others out of the box, so insight flows across your whole campus instead of getting stuck in separate apps.
AI-enabled cameras record 24/7 with up to 365 days of footage and privacy-sensitive features like live face blur and privacy regions.
Access Control
Automatically provision or revoke staff credentials via SCIM and SAML, remotely grant building access, and automate door schedules from the cloud.
Alarms
Deter trespassing and vandalism with cloud-managed intrusion detection, professional monitoring, and video verification that cuts false alarms.
Intercom
See who's at the school entrance, grant access remotely from the front desk, and get in-call person-of-interest alerts if a suspect returns.
Air Quality Sensors
Set custom alerts for vape, CO₂, noise, TVOCs, particulate matter, and formaldehyde to detect hazards cameras can't see.
Visitor Management
Streamline check-ins and screen visitors against sex offender and criminal databases, with SIS integrations for tardies and dismissals.
Mailroom
Optimize delivery management by tracking package drop-offs with a simple mobile scan and auto-notifying recipients on arrival.
Connectivity
Deploy devices with cellular or Wi-Fi gateways in hard-to-wire spots like parking lots, gates, fields, and stadiums.
Viewing Station
Stream up to 300 live camera feeds from multiple sites into one location for instant visibility across a campus or district.
From one school to many
Built to scale across your whole district.
Give district leaders system-wide visibility while each campus keeps control of its day-to-day.
Whether you run a single elementary school or fifty buildings across multiple cities, the platform grows with you. There's no per-site server to stand up and no separate system to learn — just one cloud that puts every camera, door, and sensor a search away, with permissions that mirror how your district is actually organized.
One district, one pane of glass
Monitor activity across every school in real time, run a district-wide search, and push policy changes everywhere at once — all from a single login.
Granular, role-based permissions
Principals, SROs, IT admins, and front-office staff each see exactly what they need — and nothing they don't — with multi-site permissions you set once.
Standardize safety everywhere
Roll out consistent lockdown procedures, retention policies, and visitor screening across every campus so a transfer student or substitute teacher gets the same protection at every door.
Bridge what you already own
Migrate at your own pace. Bridge select non-Monarch devices into the cloud platform so you can modernize building by building without ripping everything out on day one.
Made for education
Built for every kind of school.
From a single early-childhood center to a sprawling high school campus, the system flexes to the building and the age group.
Elementary schools
Discreet cameras, secure single-point entry, and privacy-first monitoring keep little learners safe without making campus feel like a fortress.
Middle & high schools
Vape detection, AI camera search, and license plate recognition tackle the issues bigger campuses face in bathrooms, hallways, and parking lots.
Private & charter
Enterprise-grade protection that's simple enough for lean teams to run — with the polished, reassuring experience families expect.
Districts & multi-site
One dashboard, district-wide visibility, and role-based permissions let central office and individual campuses share one source of truth.
Athletics & events
Cellular gateways extend coverage to fields, stadiums, and gates, so big-crowd events get the same eyes-on protection as the main building.
Early childhood centers
Tightly controlled access, instant visitor verification, and streamlined reunification give caregivers and parents extra peace of mind.
Getting started
A clear path from quote to live.
Work with a dedicated security expert from your first call through deployment and beyond.
You don't need to be a security engineer to modernize your campus. Monarch's specialists handle the heavy lifting — assessing your buildings, designing the system, and supporting your team after install — so your IT and safety staff can stay focused on students.
STEP 01
Talk to an expert
Tell us about your campus, your current systems, and your safety priorities. We'll walk your buildings — in person or virtually — to understand the real needs.
STEP 02
Design & quote
We design a right-sized system — cameras, doors, sensors, and alarms — with transparent pricing and predictable renewal costs. No licensing games.
STEP 03
Install & configure
Plug-and-play hardware and cloud setup mean fast, low-disruption installs. Bridge existing devices and migrate building by building at your pace.
STEP 04
Train & support
Your team is up and running in minutes, backed by 24/7 technical support and a free trial that includes a device, two-way shipping, and full platform access.
Budget with confidence
Predictable costs, no surprises.
School budgets are tight and scrutinized. Monarch's model is built to be easy to forecast, approve, and defend.
There are no per-user license fees, no recorder hardware to refresh every few years, and no hidden charges to add a viewer. You buy the devices, subscribe to the platform, and know exactly what renewal looks like — which makes it far simpler to plan multi-year budgets and present a clear case to your board or business office.
Predictable renewals
Transparent, term-based pricing with up to a 10-year warranty means no surprise refresh cycles and no licensing games — easy to budget years in advance.
Unlimited seats included
Add every administrator, teacher, SRO, and IT staffer at no extra cost. You'll never have to ration access to your own security system to save money.
Modernize at your pace
Phase the rollout building by building and bridge select existing devices, so a campus-wide upgrade can be spread across budget cycles and grant windows.
Many districts fund safety upgrades through state and federal school-safety initiatives and grant programs. Your Monarch specialist can help you scope a system that fits the way your funding actually arrives.
Trusted by educators
A platform built for how schools run.
365
Days of onboard footage retention per camera
10-yr
Product warranty with predictable renewal costs
24/7
Technical support by phone, email, or live chat
Unlimited
Cloud storage & archiving
School security, answered.
The questions K-12 IT directors, business officials, and safety leaders ask us most.
What is a cloud-based school security system?
A cloud-based school security system connects your cameras, access control, alarms, intercom, and sensors to one online platform instead of on-site recorders and servers (NVRs or DVRs). Staff manage every device and review footage from any browser or phone, the software updates itself automatically, and insight is shared across products — so a vape alert, a door event, and the nearest camera all live in one place.
Do the cameras require NVRs or on-site servers?
No. Cameras store footage on-device — up to 365 days — and stream securely to the cloud, so there are no NVRs or DVRs to purchase, maintain, or replace. That removes a common point of failure, lowers the burden on school IT, and keeps your network bandwidth available for teaching and testing.
How does the platform protect student privacy?
Privacy is built in. Live and selective face blur anonymize uninvolved students during real-time monitoring and before footage is exported. Privacy regions black out sensitive areas so cameras never record them. Role-based permissions and audit logs ensure only authorized staff access footage, every action is recorded, and your data is encrypted and retained on a schedule you control.
Can it detect vaping on campus?
Yes. Air quality sensors detect vape and other indicators — including THC, CO₂, and abnormal noise — and send instant SMS alerts to designated staff. Because the sensors don't use cameras, they're appropriate for restrooms and other private spaces, and you can pair them with nearby hallway cameras to add visual context and spot trends over time.
How fast can a school initiate a lockdown?
A campus-wide lockdown can be triggered in seconds from a desktop, the mobile app, or a physical panic button, instantly restricting access to buildings and classrooms. During an event, administrators can remotely unlock specific doors for arriving law enforcement while keeping all other doors secured.
Does it integrate with our student information system?
Yes. Visitor management integrates with SIS platforms such as PowerSchool, Clever, and ClassLink to streamline tardy tracking, early-dismissal sign-outs, and guest check-ins. Access control can automatically provision and revoke staff credentials through SCIM and SAML, so accounts and door access stay in sync with your directory.
Is it a good fit for an entire district?
Absolutely. Multiple schools are managed from one dashboard with granular, role-based permissions, so district leaders get system-wide visibility while each campus controls its own day-to-day operations. You can standardize lockdown procedures, retention policies, and visitor screening across every building, and migrate at your own pace by bridging select existing devices into the platform.
What support, warranty, and trial does Monarch offer?
Schools get top-rated technical support 24/7 by phone, email, or live chat, unlimited user seats, and up to a 10-year product warranty with predictable renewal costs. You can also try the platform first: the free trial includes a device, two-way shipping, and full access to the management platform so your team can evaluate it on a real campus before committing.
Can we keep some of our existing cameras and systems?
In many cases, yes. You can bridge select non-Monarch devices into the cloud platform and migrate building by building rather than replacing everything at once. That lets you protect prior investments, spread the project across budget cycles, and standardize on one platform over time instead of in a single disruptive cutover.
Why Monarch instead of buying direct or going with a traditional integrator?
Monarch is a Verkada Authorized Reseller with dedicated security experts who specialize in K-12. You get the same leading cloud platform plus a local partner who walks your campus, designs a right-sized system, handles installation, and supports your team long after go-live — rather than a generic quote and a box of hardware. One accountable partner, one platform, one point of contact.
Resources for school leaders.
Share these with your safety committee, IT team, or board to build the case for modern, cloud-based security.
Easy to buy through the contracts you already use.
Schools and districts can purchase Monarch school security systems through the cooperative purchasing programs they already trust — streamlining procurement and putting collective buying power to work. We're an authorized partner on the co-ops districts ask about most.
Let's connect
Talk to an expert.
Our school security specialists will help you design the right solution for your campus or district — and get a risk-free trial up and running.
