Campus ID News
Card, mobile credential, payment and security
FEATURED
PARTNERS
slider fingerprint lunchline 1

California school district expands fingerprint biometrics in lunchrooms

Andrew Hudson   ||   May 04, 2017  ||   ,

California's Vista Unified School District has expanded the use of a biometrics system that sees students scan their fingerprints to purchase food at the cafeteria lunch line.

According to a report from The San Diego Union-Tribune, the biometrics program has reportedly led to expedited lines and introduced new layers of security for student accounts from theft or accidental misuse. Students are automatically enrolled in the fingerprint program unless parents request that they be excluded.

Despite the overwhelming proliferation of the technology across numerous verticals, notably on smartphones and tablets, there remain some critics of biometrics and fears of identify theft and privacy protection. As with any properly implemented biometric system, however, the solution at the Vista Unified School District does not store or share fingerprint images, and instead encrypts them in a way that they cannot be reverse engineered back to the student.

The system being deployed is Educational Biometric Technology's IDConnect solution. As with most systems, IDConnect scans fingerprints and applies a mathematical algorithm to generate a unique number for each student, and never stores images of the finger. When it comes time for lunch, students simply apply their finger to the scanner and a match is made to the student's lunch account.

The Vista district is no stranger to fingerprints in the lunch line, as the district first launched the program a year ago and has since installed fingerprint scanners at 19 campuses. This latest expansion will see the 20th of 22 schools in the district outfitted with the fingerprint system.

The use of fingerprint biometrics has alleviated problems with previously associated with the use of student ID cards and PIN numbers, allowing lunch lines to move more efficiently. PINs proved to be problematic, as students would routinely forget their PIN or share it others. Cards, too, were a problem as they were easily lost by the district's younger students.

Per the Union-Tribune report, the initial buy-in for the system was roughly $66,000, with maintenance carrying a $200 per building, per year cost. Overall the system has seen significant student adoption, with just four families across the entire district opting out of the program.

|| TAGS:
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter

RECENT POSTS

Sheridan College onecard banner
Sep 21, 23 / ,

Interview: Sheridan College onecard manager details hugely successful mobile credential rollout

At the start of the fall term in 2022, the Sheridan College onecard office rolled out its new Mobile onecard. The Canadian institution serves 27,000 students across its three campuses in Ontario, so launching a project of this magnitude required careful planning and a well-orchestrated marketing effort to ensure success. CampusIDNews spoke with Aesha Brown, […]
University of Minnesota Twin Cities mascot
Sep 21, 23 /

Treasure hunt sends students in search of mascot’s lost campus card

At the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, the mission is to find Goldy’s U Card. On each of the institution’s three campuses, one of the mascot’s U Cards is hidden. Each undergraduate student that finds a card will receive a $100 reward. Finding the cards will not be easy. To help in the hunt, three […]
UX Tech event logo
Sep 19, 23 / ,

ColorID’s UX Tech event explores campus ID impact on user experience

We all want great user experiences for our cardholders and our system administrators, and advancements in technology are making this more possible than ever before. New credential and reader technologies are transforming the campus ID and with it the campus. The event is hosted and sponsored by UC Irvine, and will take place at the […]
CIDN logo reversed
The only publication dedicated to the use of campus cards, mobile credentials, identity and security technology in the education market. CampusIDNews – formerly CR80News – has served more than 6,500 subscribers for more than two decades.
Twitter

Join us, @NACCUorg, and @TouchNet to explore how campus card programs can successfully navigate the sales and procurement process. Join the webinar on June 6, 2 pm EDT. https://go.touchnet.com/l/652093/2022-05-18/lsndq

Webinar: Learn how the University of Arizona uses campus cards, mobile ordering, kiosks, lockers, and robots to revolutionize campus dining. April 7, 2-2:30 EDT. Register Now at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7821245544009488910?source=campus-id

Load More...
Contact
CampusIDNews is published by AVISIAN Publishing
315 E. Georgia St.
Tallahassee, FL 32301
www.AVISIAN.com[email protected]
Use our contact form to submit tips, corrections, or questions to our team.
©2023 CampusIDNews. All rights reserved.