Colton, CA—On September 2nd, Colton High School implemented a new digital hall pass system called 5-Star.

5-Star gives teachers a way to issue digital hall passes to students during class. This technology will also be used to conduct tardy sweeps and perform activity check-ins. It has already been used previously for drive-thru and in-person events at the school by students and parents. 

To assign a hall pass, teachers simply scan the barcode on a student’s ID, or input their ID number into the 5-Star application. Security and other adults can scan ID’s to verify the status of  a student’s pass while they are out of class.

The experience will be the same as carrying any type of hall pass, except it is now all on school ID’s.

Assistant Principal Danielle Fernandez is in charge of rolling out this new technology at school. She hopes it will make paperwork less overbearing for teachers, opening up class time for more instruction. 

Even though the rollout for 5-Star was set to launch September 2nd, there are few signs of it on campus. 

“I can’t help you, because I don’t know anything yet,” Security guard Melinda Rodriguez said. 

The student body at CHS has also been provided little information about 5-Star.

Ms. Fernandez explained why students were not given more specific instructions. “The student side is still being created and built out . . . As the system is a tool for the staff, the students were not informed of the function. As a staff, it was not discussed to share with students until it was necessary for it to be useful to your experience at CHS.” 

ID cards are required for 5-Star to work. If students have not received one yet, the next make-up picture day is on September 13th, 2021.