Carroll County High School has implemented a new program to give students easier access to the bathroom, school nurse and other services during their class period. The same program has had great success in Carroll County Middle School.
SmartPass is a computer program in which students submit a request for a pass for the bathroom, nurse, counselor, etc. and they are put in a queue. The school determines how many students can be in the hallway at a time or in a specific room at one time. Students are limited on how many passes they can have in one day, as well.
At the high school, students get three bathroom passes a day and a maximum of eight people can be in the hallways at one time. Students still have the opportunity to use the bathroom between classes.
“We wanted to create some continuity between middle school and here, but also give the students some more responsibility,” said CCHS Principal Crystal Harris.
SmartPass also makes things easier for staff members who were called throughout the day to escort students to the bathroom during class time.
“Students will be able to put in when they need to go to the restroom without having somebody escort them. They are also taking on the responsibility that we’re trusting you to go to the restroom without doing silly stuff,” Harris said.
Once a student requests a pass, they have 3-5 minutes to go to their desired location then return to the classroom. Their laptop has a countdown, which is visible to the teacher. The laptop screen lights up yellow and will turn red if the student has not returned at their designated time.