# NYC DOE Implements Digital Hall Pass System

The New York City Department of Education (DOE) has deployed SmartPass, a digital hall pass system developed by Raptor Technologies, to monitor student bathroom and hallway usage in real-time across NYC public schools. This initiative aims to enhance student safety and reduce disruptions by providing administrators with detailed tracking data. However, the system has sparked privacy concerns from students, parents, and advocacy groups, emphasizing the need for careful consideration of data protection and ethical use of surveillance technologies in educational settings.

- **Why this matters:** Procurement professionals should note the growing demand for digital monitoring solutions in public education, highlighting opportunities for vendors specializing in real-time tracking and safety technologies.
- The privacy concerns raised indicate that future procurements may require stringent data privacy and security requirements to address stakeholder sensitivities.
- Organizations involved in educational technology procurement should evaluate the balance between safety benefits and privacy risks when selecting or recommending digital surveillance products.
- This case underscores the importance of transparent communication and compliance with privacy regulations in contracts involving student data collection and monitoring.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Education
**Topics:** Digital Infrastructure
**Published:** April 08, 2026

### Government Entities
- New York City Department of Education (DOE)

### Vendors
- Raptor Technologies (owner of SmartPass)

### Key Quotes
> Hyper invasive, error-prone AI surveillance technologies have no place in school bathrooms. Third-party surveillance products, like the electronic hall passes, put students' sensitive, personal data at the whims of for-profit corporations, unnecessarily put even more punitive discipline into students' lives, and add more fuel to the school-to-prison pipeline.
> — Charlotte Pope, Equal Justice Works Fellow at the NYCLU

### Sources
- [NYC schools track bathroom time with digital hall passes](https://www.aol.com/news/nyc-schools-track-bathroom-time-142655071.html) - AOL.com