Sunman-Dearborn looks to biometrics for school lunch program

St. Leon, Ind.— Sunman-Dearborn Community Schools will implement biometric finger scanning to track students buying lunch next year. Officials say the system does not use fingerprints. The system focuses on unique identifying features of the finger.

Sources from the Dearborn County Register say the new method is designed to streamline the process and create a data base to use for state reporting purposes. It will also eliminate the problem of lost lunch cards. School officials say they will scan all 3,800 students during registration prior to the school year.

The cost is expected to be about $2,500 per year and could increase two to three percent annually.

The system is produced by Pennsylvania-based IdentiMeterics Biometric ID Management.