New technology on the menu at Greene Primary School

GREENE – Primary school students in Greene won’t need to remember their four-digit lunch code this year thanks to new technology installed over the summer. They’ll be able to move through the lunch line with just a wave of their index finger.

The Greene Primary School will be the first school in New York State to use a combination of biometric finger scanning technology and Microcheck, the food service software used by the district. Greene Central Schools will be testing the technology in a pilot program for the Houston-based company which designs the software.

Technology coordinator John Griton was instrumental in getting the school selected for the pilot program. While Griton warns it will take some time to work out the kinks of the new system, he is optimistic that the district will see benefits.

“It will definitely increase the speed of kids going through the line,” said Griton. The system, which will eliminate the possibility of children accidentally using the incorrect food service number, will also protect against incorrect account use.

Lunchtime in the primary school, which does not have a lunch room, can be hectic. Teachers bring each class to the food service window. Students move through the lunch line and then head back to the classroom where they eat their lunch.

“We serve 150 to 200 depending on the menu of that day,” said cafeteria manager Rosemary Badger. More than 100 breakfasts are served off the line each day as well. All of this done by just two staff members.

“Considering the limited amount of staff, this really should help with the overall process,” said Griton.

According to Griton, the biggest challenge of implementing the new technology will be the time necessary to register all of the primary school’s 250 students. This process will start during the second week of school.

“We’ll still use food service numbers until we have everyone registered,” said Griton.

The technology coordinator will work with cafeteria staff members to process small groups of students at a time. The students will be asked to scan each index fingers three times. The multiple scans help allow for different placements of the child’s finger on the scanner.