Hall passes have been the same for many years, but have we ever considered switching to virtual hall passes?
In recent times, some high schools like Westfield and West Springfield have been experimenting with different methods of using hall passes. The one that sticks out the most is e-Hallpass, a virtual hall pass, and there could be a change in the future. Ananndale currently does not have the new virtual pass system, however it is on the horizon for
“I think for the near future they’re here to stay but that doesn’t mean that we’re gonna keep them. But for now we know that this is our process and students are getting used to our process,” said administrator Erik Healey
E-Hallpass is a virtual pass system that allows students to request to go to the bathroom, clinic and more.
“It could save time and is good for tracking students who could be skipping,” said nutrition and wellness teacher Angela Tamayo. The main feature of e-Hallpass is a timer that has the colors green, yellow and red, which indicate whether a student is using the pass appropriately. Zero to 10 minutes equals green, 10-15 equals yellow and 15 plus is red.
“If it works and has no issues I believe that it could work and make things easier for the teachers and students,” Tamayo said. Some students are against this idea because they feel as if it would take longer to write up rather than asking.
“I think that virtual passes take longer to write up instead of just asking,” said freshman Mason Nguyen.
It is still very new and has a few issues with it, and there’s also a risk of the E-Hallpass website getting shut down or booted.
“I think it is a good idea and I think it could work so we should give it a shot,” said Algebra teacher Tobias Disentfrey.
Skipping is still a big issue for teachers at Annandale but our security team is always working to prevent it from presisting.
“Our security team is frequently in the hallways checking bathrooms and outside the building. We are trying our best to prevent it,” said administrator Erik Healey
Since Fairfax County has been trying out new methods to prevent skipping, e-Hallpass may be the next solution.
“We won’t know till we try it but clearly halls being filled with students is an issue,” said Disentfrey.
