Dear Parents and Guardians,

One of our goals is to provide an enjoyable eating experience for your children. That means not only having enough time to eat enough food to meet their nutritional needs, but also having time to talk, laugh and socialize with their friends.

Socializing is an important aspect of dining because it allows children sufficient time to relate to others, provides a break in routine and refreshes them for afternoon classes. Children enjoy their food more and may even try more healthy options if they can relax, eat, and socialize without feeling rushed.

One way to give our students more time to eat is to speed up the lunch lines. One of the fastest ways to get students through the lines is by eliminating the ID cards, ID numbers and manual entry because students lose or forget their ID cards and forget or mis-enter their ID numbers causing the lines to move slower.

Food Service received a grant for a finger scanning ID system, similar to the one on many smart phones. With the simple touch of a finger, the students are identified fast and easily. By eliminating ID cards and numbers the lines move faster, and students have more time to eat and socialize. Here are some things you might want to know. 

There are no images of any fingerprints taken. ZERO.

The initial finger scan is converted to an encrypted string of numbers - the template.  The template is only associated with the student’s name (first name, last name, middle initial - if they have one), student ID number, grade and school. That’s it! 

All templates are located behind the school district’s firewall with all the security protections currently in place for all our data. The vendor does not host or have access to any of our data. 

The templates are only being used to identify students who are enrolled in our system.

You can opt out. You may opt out if you don’t want your child to participate. Your child can simply use the current ID method. You may also opt in if you change your mind in the future. It’s your choice. Please contact Ashley Preece at apreece@blsd.net ph. 208-847-2256

How does finger scan ID work?

We will be using finger scanning ID similar to many smart phones. Using a finger scanner, the software scans certain unique points on the finger to create and store individual numerical templates that identify each student. When the student returns, the software again scans the finger and looks for a numerical template match in the database. When a match is found, the student is identified. This all happens in about a second.

What about the privacy of our students?

The software scans the finger for identification. It does not store a copy of the fingerprints. Instead, the software creates a template of the unique points on the finger. The template is converted to a unique number and is stored in the school district’s database with the same high level of security of all our records.

The templates are also protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). FERPA is the same Federal Law that protects all student records. When your child graduates or is no longer enrolled in the school system, the templates are deleted. At no time is a fingerprint image stored. Once again, the vendor, identiMetrics, does not host or have access to any of our data or records.

Thanks for your attention!

It is important to us that your child’s experiences in school are educational and rewarding. This new way of identifying our students is safe, easy, accurate, efficient and secure. If you have any questions or do not want your child to participate and opt out of the system, please contact me.

Sincerely,

Ashley Preece

Food Service Director

208-847-2256

Apreece@blsd.net