GPS Tracking

As schools districts across the United States are becoming more and more crowded and cash-strapped, administrators are looking for alternative ways to provide security and safety. School districts feel the responsibility to maintain the safety of every attending student. Not only do they need to be accountable that attending students are not consistently tardy, but they must also make sure they do not leave school early to ditch class. With this responsibility comes cost, and when programs and teacher salaries continue to decline the school districts find themselves struggling for answers to the problems. Spy gadget type surveillance cameras are one option that many schools have adopted to preserve a safe learning environment, but another alternative option is what has been causing a great deal of positive and negative reactions. That alternative is GPS tracking.

GPS Tracking: Truants

The game plan for the school districts is to equip students who are habitually truant or missing from class with a GPS tracking bracelet or anklet. Therefore, if the problematic students position is located outside of the classroom at times when they should be in class school officials can easily track them down, making sure they are safe or not engaging in inappropriate behavior. An unidentified school district staff member stated, “GPS tracking technology allows us to keep students safe, hold students accountable for their behavior, and give parents the peace of mind knowing that when they drop their children off at school they are safe”. Since the partnership of schools and GPS tracking is still in the infancy stages it is unlikely that the GPS tracking bracelets will be mandatory attire for all students.

Currently, only a small numbers of schools are implementing GPS tracking programs to monitor “high-risk” students.

GPS Tracking: Is this going too far?

Many parents and privacy advocates are expressing frustration with any type of program that would require students to wear a GPS tracking system, even if those students were habitually tardy or truant. When asked how they would feel if their son or daughter had to wear a GPS tracking system, one parent stated. “I wish schools would put more time and money into teaching instead of GPS tracking”. The same parent even asked if the GPS tracking technology being used to monitor the kids was the same type of GPS tracking technology used to monitor sex offenders out on parole. Although it is uncertain if the devices are the exact same, the GPS tracking systems are probably very similar in functionality and operate under the same concept.

If your son or daughter was habitually late or truant would you want school officials to use GPS tracking technology to monitor their movements?

Should parents be able to stop school officials if they wanted to use GPS tracking on their child?

Should over-protective parents have the right to request their child be equipped with a GPS tracking device even if the student is not truant or tardy?