Wisconsin School District Implements Facial Recognition for Visitor Screening

The Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) is introducing facial recognition software at school entrances to enhance security by identifying visitors and cross-referencing their identities with government watchlists, sex offender registries, and other legal databases.

The software, called Visitor Aware, was developed by Madison-based Singlewire Software. President and CEO Terry Swanson highlighted the added security, stating, “With Visitor Aware, teachers, students, and staff can feel comfortable knowing that anyone entering the building has been screened.”

In addition to identification, the system will help maintain a headcount during emergencies.

“Should there be an emergency, we have a quick, accurate description of everybody in our building,” said Gina Aguglia, Director of Cross Systems and Critical Response at MMSD. “So that we can account for individuals quickly and assess safety more accurately.”

While Visitor Aware replaces traditional sign-in sheets, MMSD will work with families to pre-register into the system. The technology is funded primarily by a federal grant, with the district committing $177,000 over the next three years.

Though the use of biometric technology in schools has been gaining in popularity over the past several years, it has come with it’s share of controversy.

Most recently, Chelmer Valley High School in Chelmsford, Essex, was formally reprimanded by the U.K.’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for using facial recognition technology for cashless lunch payments without obtaining specific opt-in consent from students.

The school began using facial recognition supplied by CRB Cunninghams in March of 2023, but failed to conduct a necessary Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) before implementation. The ICO criticized the school for not obtaining clear affirmative consent as required by Article 4(11) of the U.K. GDPR, instead using an opt-out approach communicated to parents through a letter.

Source: Channel 3000

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August 8, 2024 – by Ali Nassar-Smith