Pittsburgh schools requiring biometric lunch payment
06 November, 2009
category: Biometrics, Education, Financial
The school board in Pittsburgh, Pa. has issued an order that gives their middle and high school students a couple weeks to sign-up for the school lunch program that sees them using biometric data as a form of payment rather than refillable debit cards or passwords connected to lunch accounts, according to a Post Gazette article. While there is no other option for payment for students that wish to take part in the school lunch program, the school board has no problem with students continuing to or opting out to pack their own lunches at home.
The program in Pittsburgh utilizes fingerprint biometrics to authenticate the student and the account with which the student is associated. While the scanners were installed earlier this year to assist with lines during lunchtime as well as to quash problems stemming from students forgetting their cards, the board voted in early October for taking a hard-line with the program and begin requiring it.
The reasoning behind their strict stance on the program comes down to just a few students who have refused to be scanned but still partake in the program leading to cafeteria workers having to input their information manually.
Read the full story here.