Smartpass or Pass?

By: James Scothorn

With a new school year, Hackett is doing things in a new way. With a problem last year of kids using the bathroom too much during class, Hackett is using an app called Smartpass to monitor bathroom usage throughout the day. 

Smartpass is an app that students need to sign into whenever they need to leave the class. Whether it’s needing to use the bathroom, filling up their water bottle, grabbing books from their locker, or even going to the office. Economics teacher, Mr. Durkee, is conflicted on his feelings about Smartpass, saying “I personally enjoy it, I know how long you guys are out, but I understand how annoying it could be to the students.” While being unsure about the practicality of the Smartpass, he was sure about how nice it was for the safety of the kids, by saying “If God forbid someone comes in on the campus I know where you are so I can come and find you.” The safety implications of the app is very helpful, and since the number one most important thing for the students at Hackett is safety, this app ensures that. 

While Mr. Durkee feels one way about Smartpass, the students have a different opinion on the matter. Class member of 2026, David Verduzco, says “I don’t think that Smartpass is very useful because why does it matter who is out of the classroom at one time.” Another member of Class of 2026, Ezra Rowekamp-Ambs, said that “I believe that it is reasonable to a certain extent, however limiting the amount of times Smartpass can be used per day can cause issues because students have to leave the classroom for numerous reasons, including grabbing something from the printer, seeing Mr O(Ostinde), consulting with Mrs Ulbrich. These are all reasons that students need to be able to leave the classroom for things as important as this.” 

Lots of students are not very fond of the new policy regarding Smartpass, and even the staff is conflicted on their opinions. Overall the idea is strong, but the practicality of it all could use some more work.