Students will be able to use their fingerprint to pay for lunch in St. Francis

ST. FRANCIS, Wis. (CBS 58) -- When students in St. Francis return to class this year, they'll have a new way to get through the lunch line.

The district is now using a technology that uses a student's fingerprint to pay for their lunch.

The superintendent believes the technology will speed up the lunch line process, giving kids more time to eat their lunch.

The devices will be placed at a cash register. A student will then place their finger on the device, and if it's approved, there will be a green light. If it doesn't go through and they need to try again, a red light will flash.

Previously, the district used a code system for students to pay for lunch. The superintendent says the fingerprint ID system will be more efficient and will help with security. Students won't be able to use another student's code to buy their lunch.

According to IDConnect, the company that makes the fingerprint system, it was first used in 1997 for library circulation. It was later used for food service in 2003.

A statement from the company says in part,

"We have over 2000 schools using our system on a daily basis across the country since those dates. The system has expanded and found to be very effective in bringing accuracy to many areas of the school including lunch lines. Without a system like this kids are literally stealing lunch account money from other students accounts."

The devices were $1,100 apiece and there will be four of them throughout the district.

"We know that having time to sit down and not only eat their food, but have an opportunity to converse and use that downtime between a rigorous set of courses or just what happens during the day is really important," said St. Francis School District Superintendent Blake Peuse.

The system does not store the student's fingerprint, but parents with security concerns can opt-out of the fingerprint system and continue to use the code system.

So far, the superintendent says they've received positive feedback from parents.



