The Problem We're Tackling

Nearly 30% of U.S. students were chronically absent in the 2021–22 school year. That means they missed at least 10% of the year—roughly three weeks or more(U.S. Department of Education, 2023). These absences disrupt learning and make it harder to stay on track academically and socially.

More than 14% of high school students reported using e-cigarettes in 2022. Vaping is one of the most widespread substance use trends among teens today(CDC, 2022). It often occurs in unsupervised areas like restrooms and hallways during class time.

The average school uses over 300,000 sheets of paper annually, much of it tied to administrative tasks like hall passes(McHugh, 2020). These paper slips are often lost, thrown away, or reused unsafely. It’s a system that adds cost, clutter, and unnecessary environmental impact.

A single hall pass trip takes around 6½ minutes on average(Reiss, 2022). Multiply that by several trips per week across hundreds of students, and schools lose countless hours of instructional time. Without tracking, it’s difficult to know where that time is going.

Only about 4% of U.S. secondary schools use a digital hall pass system. That means most schools have no real-time way to track student location once they leave the classroom(Young, 2022). This lack of visibility can lead to confusion, miscommunication, and safety risks.

One school cut bathroom vaping incidents by 50% after implementing digital tracking. Without systems to detect overuse or patterns, misuse of hall passes often goes unnoticed(Wallis, 2024). This can lead to chronic skipping or students meeting up during class time.

Roughly 60% of teachers report feeling burned out, with behavior management as a top cause(Blad, 2024). Constant disruptions from students leaving and returning add to the daily stress. Reducing hall pass chaos gives teachers back control of their classrooms.

Black students are 3.6 times more likely than white peers to be suspended from school(Darling-Hammond & Ho, 2024). Disciplinary action tied to hallway behavior can reflect broader systemic inequities. Without transparency or consistency, these gaps go unaddressed.

About 97% of teens use their phones during school hours, often in unsupervised moments(Merod, 2023). Hallway breaks become chances to scroll social media or disengage. This not only reduces focus but also complicates efforts to manage behavior and screen time.