By Rebecca Klopf
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ARROWHEAD, Wisconsin (WTMJ) — Three Arrowhead Union High School students have spoken out against a new electronic pass (or ePass) system that limits how many times students can use the bathroom during the school day and week.
The ePass system functions as an electronic hall pass that students must use to take bathroom breaks during class. Students are restricted to three bathroom visits per day and seven total visits per week while in class; however, they also have the opportunity to go to the bathroom during passing periods, which are eight minutes long. The school noted that they have the longest passing period of any school in the area.
“I feel like this system should not have been implemented,” said JP Moen, an Arrowhead student who addressed the school board about the issue.
Moen, a cross-country athlete, said the system penalizes him for staying hydrated for his sport.
“Say I drank a lot of water that day, and I try to go to the bathroom two periods in a row, you can’t go. It’s messed up,” Moen said.
The system also limits how many students can check out passes simultaneously, creating additional barriers for bathroom access.
“You only get three a day and seven a week, and if you are having extenuating circumstances, it doesn’t matter, you literally can’t go to the bathroom,” said student Gabi Eggers.
Student Mariela Scarpaci described how crowded conditions further complicate bathroom access.
“If there is a line, I’m just like I will wait, and I end up not going to the bathroom all day,” Scarpaci said.
District defends system
The Arrowhead Schools superintendent, Conrad Farner, defended the ePass system in a statement, saying it “ensures safety, maximizes student learning, encourages responsibility, and minimizes inappropriate behavior.”
The superintendent added that the district provides accommodations to students who need extra passes or additional time.
Read Farner’s full statement:
The administration is responsible for ensuring students are as safe as possible. The administration is responsible for making sure students are adequately supervised. The administration is responsible for using district resources as effectively and efficiently as possible. The administration is expected to use data to drive decisions. The administration is responsible for improving student learning. The electronic pass system allows us to better meet all of those expectations/responsibilities. Like other area schools that have implemented such systems, we are seeing nothing but positive impacts after just two weeks.
The attached document captures just about everything I can think of regarding the ePass system. It is an excellent way for us to ensure safety, maximize student learning, encourage responsibility and minimize inappropriate behavior. The system enables us to respond to concerning behavior in the most timely manner and it gives us the ability to know where students are in the event of an emergency. Those are all incredibly beneficial aspects to the system and it is already proving to be tremendously beneficial.
The fact of the matter is any pass system (whether traditional hard copies or digital/electronic) means very little to the vast majority of students. Our students are diligently focused on preparing for their future so they make every effort to be fully engaged in their classes every possible minute…they do not ask to be out of class. They take advantage of the ample opportunities to use the restroom that exist throughout every school day. Students are supposed to be in class, not wandering the hallways.
Every organization has to adapt, not just to survive, but to thrive. Every change we make at Arrowhead is to ensure our students are as safe as possible and they are getting the most rigorous and relevant learning opportunities so they are growing and achieving at the highest possible levels.
Resistance to change is nothing new. We cannot stop moving forward merely because some changes make some people unhappy. Our block schedule is a great example of that. There was a lot of resistance to the block schedule, and a lot of false and inaccurate information was shared. After just one year, we are seeing some of the best academic results Arrowhead has realized in many years. It has proven to be a hugely positive change and it is just what we do now. If you are interested in doing a positive piece on our students’ outstanding academic performance last year, I am happy to provide more information.
We cannot get better by resisting change and doing the same things the way they have always been done. Any cost-effective system that improves safety, learning, accuracy, efficiency and accountability is worth implementing. This change has little-to-no impact on the majority of students, and helps keep students who need to be in class actually in class. We are a safer, more effective, more efficient school because of the electronic pass system. It is not clear why anyone would want us to be less safe, less effective and less efficient and less focused on improving student learning. We can easily make accommodations for any students who have extenuating circumstances. They merely need to talk to a teacher, counselor or administrator.
Other districts using similar systems
Arrowhead is not alone in implementing electronic bathroom pass systems. Both Pewaukee Schools and the Waukesha School District use similar technology.
The Waukesha School District said this is its second year using the system and that it works effectively.
After this story aired, Superintendent Farner reached back out to TMJ4 to further explain the policy. He provided the following bullet points:
-Arrowhead students have 30-40 opportunities to use the facilities each week…PLUS the passes during the class…PLUS any passes needed for emergencies/unusual circumstances. That number is similar to what other high schools provide throughout the state, especially those that use block schedules.
-The vast majority of students are not impacted by the new pass system. They have always used the facilities outside of class time and will continue to do so.
-Arrowhead students have 8 minute passing periods, allowing for ample time to use the restrooms. Most schools have passing times of 4-5 minutes. The 8 minutes have proven to be sufficient for students to use the facilities and get to class.
-All students can use the restrooms during study hall time, and it does not count against their pass limit.
-Students can use the restrooms at lunch without a pass.
-Any student taking a Physical Education class can use the restrooms at the beginning and end of that class.
-All staff can override the limits as appropriate, especially for any unusual situations or emergencies. We control the ePass system; it does not control us.
-The system actually allows students to communicate with teachers in a much more discreet manner than traditional paper passes.
-Students with specific health needs are absolutely accommodated.
-The longest an Arrowhead student ever has to go without a visit to the bathroom is 85 minutes. And they have passes available when needed to leave class.
-If a student needs more passes, we can work with the parents and students to determine how to best move forward.
-Students are not “blocked” from using the facilities; no one is going to impede a student who says they need to use the facilities, even if they have exceeded their pass limit.
-To this point, we have had zero issues of discipline in the halls and/or bathrooms, which is a significant improvement from past years.
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