Marketed to schools as a way to “limit mischief, meetups, vaping, vandalism and much more,” Eduspire Solution’s e-hallpass is a software program used to track student movements. This is the first year e-hallpass is being used at CHS although the company reports the system has been adopted in 1,000 schools.

“Last year there were more students in the hall than before COVID so this was a way to electronically see who was where,” assistant principal Mandy Burke said. “For safety, it allows us to make sure we know where everybody is if something happens.”

The e-hallpass system requires students to fill out an online form on either their school computer or cell phone. Their teacher can approve it manually or turn on the automatic setting, which allows students to approve the hall pass themselves. So far, the e-hallpass system has garnered mixed reviews.

“I think it’s a disruption to the teachers,” junior Alex Dorsey said. “They’re trying to teach and now they have to accept requests and end timers when students return.”

In addition, many students have expressed concerns about how the e-hallpass system tracks student movements.

“I feel like it’s unnecessary because it feels like an invasion of privacy since all the teachers can see what students are going to the bathroom and at what times they are coming back,” freshman Hasini Jujjavarapu said.

Eduspire also advertises a feature they call “Romeo and Juliet” which is used to “keep troublesome students from meetups.” Burke stated that the feature could be used if there were bullying concerns or if two students were known to get into fights and needed to be separated. 

In addition, the e-hallpass system can monitor bathroom capacity. Some students have experienced issues with bathrooms being over capacity and passes not going through. 

“We are looking at the bathrooms that tend to be full more often; we have upped the limits in some of them,” Burke said. “We do take the feedback because we want the feedback.”

According to dean of students Sonny (Harrison) Romine, implementation of the e-hallpass system has been a good change. 

“The feedback we have received from teachers has been positive and they feel students are in class more than last year,” Romine said.