Tracking Students with Radio Frequency ID Cards

Northside Independent School District in Texas is implementing a pilot program that uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags to track students within the school building and bus transportation systems. Supporters of the tracking devices state that this system leads to increased federal funding, as well as increased security and safety.

Privacy seems to be the largest concern regarding the program. Officials claim that the tracking system only works within the school and buses. The point has been made that the tracking devices are no more invasive than security cameras.

As long as the technology does not allow for the cards to be tracked at any location, only within the school buildings and buses, there really is not anything fundamentally wrong with the RFID cards, other than they are an unnecessary waste of resources and the program costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to run. The program claims to earn more in spending to profit from the program, but I am always against wasting money and resources.

I understand that this will allow students to be tracked at all times; I do not understand how this will improve attendance, which is what the federal funding is based on.

How do you feel about school systems using radio frequency identification systems to track the whereabouts of students?