By Aziley Crespo
Due to the need for more supervision in the bathrooms, Branford High School began implementing an electronic hall pass system this year which has had mixed reactions from students and teachers.
E-Hall pass is essentially an online pass that students fill out electronically every time they want to leave the classroom. This software keeps track of the student’s time out of class. It is also linked to a swipe card system which is used for students to enter a bathroom.
Students submit a request electronically which the teacher needs to approve. Once it’s approved, the student takes the classroom key swipe card which only opens the designated bathroom nearest to the classroom.
The pass runs on a timer while the student is out of the classroom, also alerting the teacher how long students have been out for.
School officials said the reason for implementing the E-Hall pass system is to ensure that students are socializing in the hallways less and using class time more efficiently.
Teachers may have to pause their class to log in and accept the student’s pass request with several teachers saying it can be inconvenient.
BHS assistant principal Joseph Briganti believes it is a great idea and so far has been going well.
“The bathrooms were in need of improvement and maintaining supervision for students to feel safe, the system is effective with the pass system and online system working together,” Briganti said. “The E-Hall pass system has shown to be effective for multiple things such as, maintaining supervision, helping bathrooms feel safer, keeping students out of the hallway and in class more.”
However, students like senior Riley O’Brien say that the pass tends to create a distraction and inconvenience to many teachers.
“I’m not a fan of the new pass,” O’Brien said. “In my four years that I’ve been here, I have adapted to using my phone and going to the bathroom correctly. The E-Hal pass tends to disrupt class and take the teacher away from instructing class which teachers tend to oppose.”
While still adapting, students and teachers are having mixed thoughts about E-Hall pass. Students believe it is an inconvenience to other students and staff, time consuming and can be disruptful to class and learning.
“I don’t mind the new bathroom system like the online passes, sometimes it can be inconvenient to ask the teacher to approve the pass in the middle of class,” said Junior Fathima Ramezeen
Junior Leo Segui agrees.
“I don’t really like how every time we have to fill out a pass, it becomes really time consuming,” Segui said.
However, some teachers and students do think this is a good addition to BHS and have become familiar with the E-Hall pass system despite its drawbacks and realize that change takes time.
“I think it helps keep track of students and how long they are out for, since kids are often out of class,” Math teacher Megan Paul said. “However I don’t like it when students have to do passes in the middle of a lesson.”
BHS security guards Bobby Ortiz and Dave Vargas witness the E-Hall pass in action throughout the school day
“We think the new pass has been keeping kids out of the hallways and bathroom more,” Ortiz said. “The pass has helped improve the bathroom issue a lot.”
While students are still adapting to utilizing the E-Hall pass, signs show that it has benefited Branford High Schools culture and community. BHS principal Lee Panagoulias says the new system brings great improvement to the school and is a resourceful tool.
“I think there have been some growing pains, signs of improved attendance data and how it impacts classroom learning, but we will continue to monitor and make adjustments as needed,” Panagoulias said in an email to The Buzz. “It can be a tool that helps supervise the building, but creating a culture with a value of building a community where all students belong is much more powerful.”
What are your thoughts about the new E-Hall pass system at Branford High School? Let us know in the comments.
