Biometric Lunch Scanners Coming to a School Near You

iBerkshires

The introduction of biometrics in the school lunch line has a number of parents concerned about privacy and big-government intrusion into their children's lives.

The school system is instituting the equipment at lunch lines this fall after more than a year of discussion about parents failing to pay delinquent lunch bills, the stigma surrounding free and reduced lunches and the need for student privacy.

But a notice sent home to parents informing them of the changes sparked a firestorm on Facebook, with some parents and community members decrying what they see as an invasion — not a protection — of privacy.

Corey Nicholas, food service director for the public schools, said the idea was to move students through the cafeteria line more efficiently and ensure parents could accurately track their children's lunch habits online.

The district's "point of sale" equipment, NutriKids, supports the new biometric readers from identiMetrics.

"It's definitely going to streamline the system and make the transactions more accurate," said Nicholas on Tuesday. "Those that participate are able to see all those little transactions ... we want to make sure those transactions are as transparent as possible."

Source: http://www.iberkshires.com/story/47422/Biometric-Lunch-Scanners-Raise-Parent-Ire-in-North-Adams.html?source=most_read