Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Nebraska SD Scan Student Fingerprints for School Lunch

  • By Yvonne Marquez
  • 11/04/19

Scott Middle School recently joined other Lincoln Public Schools that use biometric finger scanning to pay for lunch, reported the Lincoln Journal Star. Elementary and middle school students in the Nebraska district now can pay for lunch with a touch of their finger instead of carrying a lunch card or remembering a PIN.

The decision to implement the software was to streamline school lunch lines and give students more time to eat, LPS Nutrition Services Director Edith Zumwalt told the Lincoln Journal Star. Previously, the district used a cash register system that required a six-digit PIN. Teachers helped young students memorize their number which was time-consuming. Other schools used lunch cards that can be scanned but kids often forgot them. Finger scanning was a solution to these problems.

The way it works is each student’s finger is scanned and the software identifies unique points on the finger which are stored and used to identify students. Each time a student gets their meal, the software searches for a match in the school’s database.

With new technology comes privacy and security concerns. Zumwalt assures the technology can’t be used anywhere else and the software doesn’t keep the students’ fingerprints. Furthermore, the information gathered from the software is protected by federal student privacy laws. Parents also have the option of opting out their kids.

LPS purchased scanners from identiMetrics that cost $600 apiece. The company works with schools around the country and can be used for library, attendance and other identification needs in schools.

About the Author

Yvonne Marquez is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • California K–12 District Completes Elementary School Campus Replacement

    The West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) in Richmond, Calif., recently announced the completion of a replacement campus for Lake Elementary School, according to a news release. The school has capacity for 470 students between Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and sixth grade.

  • University of Oklahoma Announces New Campus Master Plan

    The University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., recently announced that it will soon launch a new, comprehensive Campus Master Plan to guide the campus’ physical development during the next decade, according to a news release.

  • Preparing for the Next Era of Healthcare Education, Innovation

    Across the country, public universities and community colleges are accelerating investments in healthcare education facilities as part of a broader strategy to address workforce shortages, modernize outdated infrastructure, and expand clinical training capacity. These projects, which are often located at the center of campus health and science districts, are no longer limited to traditional classrooms.

  • Wisconsin District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    The School District of La Crosse in La Crosse, Wis., recently broke ground on a new elementary school that will consolidate the students and staff of two existing schools, according to local news. Funding for the school comes from a $53-million referendum approved in 2024.