Summer is winding down, and kids are heading back to school. Another year of learning, growth, and opportunity is beginning.

Unlike single-family neighborhoods, where families send their children off individually, multifamily communities see large groups of students heading out together. This creates responsibility for property teams to ensure everything is organized and ready for the daily school commute.

What Property Management Can Do

A successful return to school starts with communication. A simple email or newsletter can remind residents of community expectations such as curfews, school-day quiet hours, or traffic guidelines.

Remind residents to drive slowly within the community, as traffic and pedestrian flow often change with new drop-off and pick-up schedules. Encourage students to use sidewalks instead of roads and avoid loitering in parking lots.

Bus stop and common areas should be kept hazard-free and well-lit. Automatic lighting should be adjusted properly, particularly for early morning pickups.

Amenity spaces can also support student success. Using community clubhouses for after-school activities – such as tutoring sessions, homework clubs, or childcare programs – can be a great resource for families. For parents who work past school dismissal time, these options help ensure their children are supported.

Many apartment communities neighbor the local schools. Property teams can assist residents by helping organize transportation methods, like those suggested in the Walk to School initiative.

Why Video Surveillance Matters

Video surveillance is a management tool every multifamily community should implement. Beyond its general uses, a camera system provides direct value during the school year.

• Bus Stops, Playgrounds, and Common Areas: These are key locations where students tend to gather before and after school. Recordings of these areas provide footage in case anything occurs. Management can also use this information to understand the patterns of increased activity. Video surveillance can support decisions such as additional lighting or implementing signage.
• Parking Lots: Surveillance helps identify times of congestion or unsafe driving. Video evidence of accidents or near misses is a must when confronting the potentially responsible party. A camera system will also provide footage if students are loitering in parking lots or on roads. These insights can determine whether traffic flow adjustments are needed.
• Package Areas and Entryways: With back-to-school shopping comes more deliveries. Cameras confirm whether packages were dropped off and who retrieved them.

Parents increasingly want to live in properties that have a video surveillance system. The ability to review footage when needed provides an extra layer of comfort. It can be promoted as a family-friendly feature for existing or prospective residents.

Watchtower Security’s Solution

Watchtower Security provides fully managed video surveillance exclusively for the multifamily industry. By offloading the time-consuming tasks of maintaining and monitoring camera systems, property teams can stay focused on the many other responsibilities that come with managing a community.

Back-to-school season is more than a calendar milestone – it’s a reminder that the future is shaped by our students. Multifamily communities play a part in that journey by creating environments that support education. A robust surveillance system assists in that endeavor.

This August, Watchtower is participating in a School Supply Drive. All supplies collected will be donated to students in need through KidSmart. We invite you to join us in giving back.