Biometric scanners, implemented at the beginning of last year for use in Seminole’s lunch lines, have been phased out after one year of service, and are no longer in use at SHS.  The scanners, which allowed students to quickly access their lunch-money accounts and pay for meals—with a literal touch of the finger—, have been replaced by keypads used for account verification.  In what will be one of the paper’s first, and hopefully its last, The Seminole presents this obituary about the end of the system, and the complex story that lies behind the implementation and phasing out of this exciting, new technology.

Assistant Principal Jordan Rodriguez remarks that the scanners were phased out due to budget cuts, and that this decision to end the program was made by Seminole County Public Schools.  Although the program has worked very well, he adds, it was certainly not inexpensive; looming budget cuts brought about the downfall of this futuristic, yet expensive staple of Noles’ cafeteria experience.

Many students who frequent lunch lines notice and lament the scanners’ absence.  Senior Mansoo Kim notes that the cafeteria lines are “a lot slower now,” and that wait times for food are longer than before.  Biometric scanning at Seminole, Kim reflects, made it easier for students to purchase their food.  Rodriguez agrees, telling The Seminole that the implementation of biometric scanners certainly sped up lunch lines at school.  Some students, however, feel little more than ambivalence towards this futuristic technology that left its mark on Seminole.  “It’s not too big of a deal,” comments senior Jay Patel.

Rodriguez emphasizes that the technology was “very good,” and that it proved exceptionally valuable in reducing theft.  In the one year with biometric scanning, no cases of lunch-money theft were reported, a large improvement over previous years.

The biometric scanners showed promise for a greater scope of applications: scanning the dimensions of students’ index fingers was considered as a replacement for the barcodes on student IDs needed for Noles to check out their textbooks.  Lines other than those for lunch could be expedited as well—students who forget identification would no longer have to call out their student numbers for the waiting staff members, further slowing the lines.  Other uses for the system come to mind: checkouts at the Media Center, schedule pickup, and more.

The implementation of biometric scanners began when Seminole High was asked to be the prototype school by SCPS.  Excited to implement the technology, Seminole High became the first school in the county to use the new lunchroom setup.  Yet, when faced with a large budget shortfall, the school district needed to cut back, and between scanning hardware and computer software, it was one of the programs to be cut.  Rodriguez notes that lunch-line speed is not a priority for taxpayers.  The technology was a luxury, and not a necessity, and the decision was made to place the priority on classroom instruction.