Sweetwater County School District Number One

Wyoming’s Sweetwater County School District Number One (SWCSD#1) faced mounting challenges managing access control across its growing number of school campuses. Over the years, schools were outfitted with various access systems, creating a patchwork of inconsistent technologies. This made access management time-consuming, inefficient, and costly – especially when rekeying locks or responding to security incidents.  

“The systems we had weren’t scalable or easy to manage and they lacked critical functionality that we were interested in,” said Mark Portillo, SWCSD#1 Assistant Facilities Director. “We wanted a modern access, unified solution that was secure, affordable, and easy to use.”  

Recognizing the need for a district-wide upgrade, SWCSD#1 partnered with Convergint Technologies to evaluate solutions that could bring consistency, simplicity, and long-term value. James Hooper, Convergint Senior Account Manager, recommended Salto Systems for their proven track record in education security and their ability to meet the district’s unique needs.  

After thorough research and product evaluations, SWCSD#1 selected Salto’s electronic access control solution and began rolling it out across existing buildings and new construction projects. The deployment included Salto Space smart access platform and a full range of Salto smart locking hardware: XS4 Original+ locks on perimeter access exterior doors, XS4 Mini locks on interior doors, as well as Neo Cylinders and electronic Neoxx padlocks for gates, storage areas, and more.     

“We started by converting all exterior doors, and now we’re outfitting every interior door – classrooms, cafeterias, gyms, libraries, even nurses’ offices and daycare play areas,” said Portillo. “Eventually, every key will be replaced by a Salto lock. We’re going fully keyless!”  

Currently, five of the district’s 14 buildings are fully equipped with Salto, and the rest are underway. A new high school, set to begin construction in 2026, will feature over 2,000 Salto locks.  

Managing access is now faster and more secure, said Portillo. “If someone leaves or loses a credential, I can revoke access in just a minute or so. There’s no need to rekey a lock, which saves significant time and money.”  

One of the primary benefits of the Salto smart access platform is that in the event of an emergency it gives SWCSD#1 the ability to enable lockdowns in real-time which can be activated by campus staff on the ground in emergencies, or remotely by administrators or law enforcement. School staff can immediately lock down specific doors, buildings, or entire campuses at the touch of a button. 

The Salto system combines mostly online locks with some offline locks (powered by Salto’s Virtual Network and data-on-card technology). Most locks are licensed for automatic updates, keeping the system efficient and low maintenance. The district has also begun using Salto’s mobile access functionality for remote and temporary credentialing which will come in handy for a school district with pre- and post-school activities.  

“Salto has delivered an excellent solution that perfectly fits Sweetwater County School District Number One’s needs,” said Hooper. “It’s scalable, manageable, and significantly more cost-effective than other systems.”  

“Deploying this electronic access solution has been a great joint effort by Sweetwater County School District Number One, Convergint, and Salto,” added Portillo. “We’re building a secure, smart, and seamless access environment. When we’re finished, if it locks, it will be Salto! What’s impressed us most is how seamlessly we were able to upgrade our schools without complex installations or disruptive wiring. Salto’s system allowed us to retrofit existing doors quickly and cleanly – no construction delays, no learning curve for staff, and no interference with our day-to-day operations. That’s a huge win for any school district.”