New SmartPass system drops at Airport High School

by Reagan S.

Newly introduced, Airport High School has started using a new virtual hall pass, called SmartPass, as a replacement for physical ones. SmartPass helps control the flow of students going to the bathroom, other classrooms, the office, to get water, etc.

During class, if students need to leave the classroom, they log into SmartPass and create a pass. Passes are timed and very specific. With each pass, you have five minutes and have to choose exactly where you are going. 

While opinions on the new hall passes vary, there are some pros and cons. Pros being easy to use and tracking efficiency. Cons being time-consuming and poor reporting. 

Sophomore, Mckenna P., says “I think that SmartPass is very useful because teachers don’t have to write passes and students can just make one and go.” Mariah F., also a sophomore at Airport High School, states “I don’t really like SmartPass, only because I've always been used to the paper passes, which I feel makes things go a lot smoother.”

Alice O., a sophomore at Airport, states, “I think that SmartPass is a good way for students to use the restroom and not disturb the class.” 

Dyllan C., a junior at Airport High School, says, “I think SmartPasses are something to get used to, but will be a good way to give kids more independence.”  

Over 1 million educators use SmartPass to improve instructional time and reduce distractions, by not having to stop the lesson and write a hall pass. It helps make student movement more efficient and not so stressful.

Working in a school is not an easy job, with hundreds of students, teaching, cleaning, grading. With SmartPass, it just takes off a little bit of pressure for teachers and holds everyone accountable. 

Hall passes can help improve school safety and keep tabs on where students are. In the event of an emergency, such as a fire or lockdown, SmartPass can give schools peace of mind knowing how many students are out and if they are on campus.

SmartPass was created by seniors in high school, Peter Lub and Dhruv Sringari, and their Assistant Principal. They came up with their version of SmartPass in 2018. The hallways were quieter and students' time in class increased. Over 2,000 schools use SmartPass to make their hallway movement smarter, and let students make the most out of the school day.