Chaminade High School, located in Mineola, New York, is a Catholic school for young men in grades 9-12. It has a student population of approximately 1,700 and has achieved a reputation for excellence. Chaminade graduates are fully prepared for the most demanding of college curricula, and each year over 99% of the graduates go on to colleges and universities. Christopher Cava is the Technology Director at Chaminade and is responsible for maintaining the computers and network throughout the campus.

The Challenges

“We had a unique problem. Approximately 250 of our students take the train each day to school, sometimes commuting two hours each way. Invariably, these students are technically tardy due to the trains running late.

In the past, we would then have a rush of students with excused tardiness showing up at the attendance office to sign in and get a late pass. For the students, this took time away from the classroom; for the staff, it took time away from their other responsibilities. I felt there should be a better way.

It is extremely refreshing to

find a company with people

who are so helpful and so willing

to get things working.   

I wanted a complete solution that could quickly and accurately get the students processed into our Student Information System, PowerSchool, so they could get to class. We were already using the barcode on student IDs in other parts of the school, but this was not an ideal solution – missing/lost ID cards, damaged ID cards, and the lost time as students looked for their ID card all tended to slow the process down a bit. I wanted a faster and simpler method of identification.

The Solution

I did some research on biometrics in schools and learned about identiMetrics. identiMetrics is the leader in biometric identification management solutions in schools. identiMetrics provides the only biometric ID management system designed by educators specifically for the unique needs of schools.

I spoke at length about our attendance issues with the identiMetrics team. The upfront help I received from Eden and technical assistance I received from Tina was greatly appreciated. It is extremely refreshing to find a company with people who are so helpful and so willing to get things working.

How's it Working?

Today, when the students are tardy due to the trains running late, they use the identiMetrics system to sign in. When the bulk of the students come in – usually 80 students at once – it only takes about 3.5 minutes for everyone to scan in. The attendance records are accurate and everything runs much more efficiently.

Since this went so well, we’re implementing biometrics in the cafeteria, too. We use Nutrikids for our point-of-sale lunch application. Our cafeteria is open for breakfast, four lunch periods and after school snacks. The students used to scan their ID cards to access their accounts. Now, with the touch of a finger, the students pass through the lines quickly and accurately.

Enrolling students into the identiMetrics system was a quick and painless process. We did it at the same time we took ID card photos, so there was zero additional time involved. This one enrollment can now be used to identify students both in the attendance office and the cafeteria. Down the road, this same system could be used in other areas of the school, such as the library, nurse’s office and for security access at labs – anywhere in the school that uses an ID card or number.

At Chaminade, we pride ourselves on excellence in everything we do and want to work with companies that have the same values. identiMetrics guarantees that every experience with them is exceptional. They haven’t disappointed!” 

 

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