Hall passes aren’t a new thing for Damascus High School students. They’ve been around for multiple years, but now, things have changed to the normal, paper, physical hall passes. The hall passes are now electronic through Synergy.  

Adam Saltzman, DHS administrator, said that “Schools are not switching to electronic hall passes just to make things harder; there are some practical reasons behind it. The main goals are safety, accountability, and smoother school operations,” he said. “If there’s an emergency, or if something happens in a hallway or bathroom, it’s easier to know which students might be nearby.” When passes are made in Synergy, the student must set a time limit. Some students are concerned that it would interrupt class time. When asked about this issue, Saltzman said that “Actually, I believe that it would, it’s gonna help in the classroom, because students are gonna be able to see and monitor the time that they’re out of the room.” He continues, “I think once we get used to using the system, it won’t be as much of a burden. But anytime you’re transitioning to something new, it can be difficult.”

A student, who wishes to remain anonymous, said, “I think it is interrupting teaching,” when asked if they thought the new electronic hall passes interfered with teaching. “I have to pull out my Chromebook every time I have to go somewhere, sometimes we’re not even using our Chromebook in class, so it kinda interrupts and makes me lose focus.”

Even though students have mixed feelings about the new hallway passes, they’ll likely get used to them over time as more classes start using them. In the end, this new system should help make navigating the school a little smoother and more organized.