POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Officials at Polk County School District have issued apology letters to parents after the district scanned some students’ irises scanned as part of a pilot security program without parental consent.
The district installed Stanley Convergence Security Solutions’ eye-scanning cameras on school buses at Davenport School of the Arts, Daniel Jenkins Academy and Bethune Academy. By installing the eye-scanning devices, the district planned to track students’ movements and inform parents whether a child returned home on time, My Fox Atlanta reports.
Unfortunately, district officials forgot to send out a letter informing parents about the tracking system, which would have allowed parents to opt out of the program. Eventually PCSD sent out the initial letter to show parents it did actually exist. Two days later, the district issued an apology notice.
The pilot program has been placed on hold.
