Lunchrooms in Ohio school district undergo overhaul
12 March, 2012
category: Biometrics, Education
Fingerprint scanners and healthier menus are some of the renovations for schools in the Tallmadge, Ohio City School District. The finger scanners alone speed up the lunch lines as students no longer have to juggle cash when paying for their lunch.
The scanners identify students and faculty, but the fingerprints aren’t collected. The scanners also eliminate the possibility of a student being identified as a beneficiary of free or reduced lunches.
With the new system, parents can pay for their students’ lunches via a Web site while school administrators can track what items are being eaten. That data can be used by cafeteria managers in ordering food.
As to the healthier foods, Steve Wood, director of business, commented: “What we want our food program to do here is to show students what healthy food looks like. It’s something we can do as a district, and something the kids have really taken a shine to.”
Deep fryers have been eliminated and replaced with ovens while entrees are prepared using whole grains. Spuds, which used to appear on many menus, now take a back seat to fruits and vegetables.
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