New digital hall pass system introduced at AHS

Understanding the motivations behind new 5-Star powered bathroom passes and how students are affected

Staff Writer

A new digital hall pass system powered by the 5-Star app was implemented at AHS on January 13, 2025, and it requires students to scan out and in of the classroom via a QR code. Bathroom visits are timed by the 5-Star app and restricted to seven minutes.

AHS is following other high schools in FUSD which have utilized a similar system. Mr. Peterson, an assistant principal at AHS, said, “We’ve heard success stories from the other high schools. For example, Kennedy High School, Robertson High School, and Irvington High School all used digital hall passes and they’ve all had nothing but good outcomes.”

AHS administration aims to replicate those outcomes here. Mr. Peterson said, “The goal, and what we’ve heard happening at other high schools, is that it holds students a little bit more accountable and it’s easier to look at data for how frequently students are going out of the bathroom.”

AHS based the seven minute timeframe on other schools that use the system. “It was just engaging with other schools about what time worked for them,” Mr. Peterson said. “Seven minutes was what other high schools provided us with as a good number.”

The new digital hall pass system tracks students’ time outside of the classroom (Photo Credit: Aruna Harpalani (11)).

Ms. Benedetti, an English and drama teacher, found the system effective at regulating bathroom use. “It has absolutely reduced the number of people outside of class because students that know they’re going to take advantage of the hall pass have, as of now, halted in doing so.”

She also commented on the confusion resulting from the new system. “There’s always questions. So while, normally, I prefer that students don’t interrupt my class to use the bathroom, I have to get those questions of, ‘Where’s the digital hall pass?’ And there’s a lot more questions. Or even just reminding students to scan back in when they come in.”

However, many students have frustrations and concerns with the new system. Aniela Islaya (12) said, “I don’t like the concept. Really, the whole seven-minute time limit—I can’t go to the bathroom and back in just seven minutes. And if I go one minute over, they’re going to ask me, ‘Oh, what are you doing?’ And for people who might be sick or at that time of the month, they might have to spend more time in the bathroom.”

Ms. Benedetti has noticed these fears among students. “It makes them really nervous,” she said. “There are potentially some who, because we have to use the digital hall pass, are a little more hesitant to use the bathroom. Just, necessarily, like, ‘What if I don’t make it in seven minutes? What if I have to ask a question?’”

Mr. Peterson said that he could not yet speak on plans for enforcing violations to the seven-minute requirement, citing the recent implementation of the new system.

Under the digital system, students must scan QR codes to access their hall pass. Regarding the scan-in and scan-out process, Mr. Peterson said, “We’re seeing a lot of students that have been in the bathroom for over an hour at a time, but we know that it’s not that they’re actually out of class for an hour, it’s more so that they’re just forgetting to sign back in.” (Photo Credit: Muhammed A. Ali (12)).