Securly Pass was automatically installed on all student and staff iPads over winter break, marking the launch of a new electric hall pass system.
On Jan. 10, all students received a lesson from their first period teacher on how to utilize the new app and understand the restrictions that may come with it.
After seeing the program in action at his previous employer, Millard North High School, dean Robert Klug sought to bring the electronic hall pass system to Bellevue West.
According to Klug the system is very new and most schools have only had it for one to two years. He said implementing this system prior to the end of the school year will make the transition easier for both students and staff.
“I think at the beginning of the year, you’re already dealing with so much, a lot of initiatives, students are coming in and so this way, ultimately, we only have to train our freshmen coming in and then any new staff that we have,” Klug said.
According to dean Josh Chavez-Herrera, maintaining constant supervision over each hallway is difficult and Chavez said he believes the students understand why this is being implemented.
“I mean, a lot of students already understand that they need to ask permission to use the bathroom and to grab the bathroom pass,” Chavez-Herrera said. “So this is kind of just one added step to where now we’re asking them to be accountable.”
According to Klug a selling point for the system was its effect on instructional time.
“It’s really about ensuring that our students are getting the most out of their academic day,” Klug said.
According to Klug, data will be collected from the app. This will be used to cross reference situations in the building with students who are out in the affected area at that time.
“Since we can’t be in every place at one time, this kind of provides us with that opportunity to kind of see what’s happening on a day in and day out basis,” Klug said.
The app is being used to replace the handwritten passes.
“Honestly, it’s not adding anything, it’s replacing something,” Chavez-Herrera said. “It gives [teachers] a plethora of data because teachers can see the different students that are in [the halls], teachers have access to a lot of the past information in real time.”
According to Klug, the time it takes to write a pass compared to creating a digital one is virtually the same.
“We never want to add anything else on anybody’s plate,” Klug said. “We’re trying to make things more efficient and effective, as opposed to cumbersome. Ultimately, it just gives us a more accurate account of what’s currently happening.”
This story was updated to include the date students started using the app.
