Schools Use Fingerprints to ID for Lunches – KATV Channel 7

Cabot -Lunchrooms going high tech in schools all over they state.  About 20 districts are using Meal Tracker, a system that uses students fingerprints to keep track of payments.

Cabot is the most recent school to put Meal Tracker into action.  Letters were sent to parents in the district.  As the program is being tested at Cabot Junior High North and Ward Central Elementary.  It is not mandatory but the school hopes parents will understand the concept.

The point of the scanner is to allow students to move through the lunch line quickly.  Giving them more time to eat.   Director of Food Services, Erin Wilkes says every student has an account.  "They do not have to participate in the fingerprint scanning but they do have an account.  So that if they only eat with us one time during the year, they still have an account set up."

Students can still pay with cash.  Every child's account is accessible by parents so they can deposit money.  Wilkes says if there is not enough money in the account, a student will still be allowed to eat, "then we contact the parent and let them know that they need to send money with the student."