School Students Told: No Personal Barcode? No Entrance

By the end of the month, any student wishing to enter Trenton Central High School must carry an identification card with a special bar code. With just one swipe of the card, the student's picture and class schedule will appear on a computer screen. If the picture matches the student, he or she may gain access into the building. This new identification system is part of an effort led by Superintendent Rodney Lofton to control access into schools and strengthen security districtwide. The Comprehensive Attendance, Administration and Security System (CAASS) is being installed in all three high school campuses, Dunn Middle School, Hedgepeth/ Williams School and the Career Life Skills Center. CAASS is used in more than 400 schools in New York, as well as the Camden public school district and schools in Washington, D.C., according to a spokesman from the Pennsylvania-based Access 411, the company that produces the attendance tracking system.