Student ID tracking program struck down in Texas school
16 July, 2013
category: Education
Officials at Northside school district in Texas have decided to cut the cord on its controversial and much maligned student ID badge tracking program, which resulted in a lawsuit filed by a student last year.
First proposed in November of last year, the RFID-enabled badges were to be used to locate students on campus, an idea that did not sit well with many students.
Northside ISD spokesman Pascual Gonzalez claims that the one year pilot program, which was being tested at Jay High School and Anson Jones Middle School, failed to meet its planned goals, one of which was to increase attendance at the campuses. In rather underwhelming fashion, according to Gonzalez the ID badges increased attendance by only one-half of a percent.
A source of controversy statewide, the ID tracking program was met with so much resistance that a formal lawsuit was raised by a student who refused to wear the badge because, under the claim that it violated her religious beliefs. The result was increased from some state lawmakers who attempted to ban the ID program from schools and further support from civil liberties groups who staged protests in opposition to the IDs.
Despite the clear and widespread backlash from the community and its lawmakers, however, Gonzalez says that the school district is still exploring ways to use to the technology in the future.
