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District introduces 5-Star electronic hall-pass system; officials say it has calmed corridors and may not require a standing technology committee
Summary
Souderton administrators described a new electronic hall-pass system called 5-Star that replaces paper passes; officials said the system reduced overcrowding in restrooms and clarified student whereabouts, and said discussion of educational-technology and infrastructure-technology responsibilities will determine future committee structure
The Souderton Area School District has started using an electronic hall-pass app called 5-Star at the high school, and administrators said the system has reduced overcrowding in corridors and restrooms since the school year began.
Public commenter Rosemary Butacoffer (retired teacher) and others raised questions about the change and urged a technology committee meeting to explain the app and how it will be used. "A technology committee would be, I think, an appropriate place to have discussed this change because there were a lot of questions," a commenter said.
District officials responded that the choice to use 5-Star grew from repeated reports of overcrowded bathrooms and suspected vaping in restrooms. A district representative said the system lets students indicate whether they are going to the bathroom, nurse or counselor, and that staff can follow up if a student does not return. "The feeling in the main corridor during lunch particularly is a lot calmer, bathrooms are not packed, kids aren't hanging out in bathrooms... if a kid's not back, as you know, as a former teacher, I'm gonna go check," a district speaker said.
Board discussion also touched on whether to continue a separate technology committee. The administration said it is reevaluating committee structure and may split educational-technology topics to the education program (EP) committee and infrastructure-technology topics to operations.
Ending: The district will continue using 5-Star; the board said it will consider committee structure changes in upcoming committee scheduling.
