Dear Families,

At Eugene School District 4J, we care deeply about your students — their safety, their learning, and their well-being are always at the center of our decisions.

This fall, we are launching a pilot program using Synergy’s Electronic Hall Pass (eHall Pass) system at four of our high schools — Churchill, North Eugene, Sheldon, and South Eugene — and one of our middle schools.

This is not a permanent policy. It’s a three-month pilot designed to learn together — with students, families, and staff — as we explore ways to improve safety, minimize classroom disruptions, and protect valuable learning time. By December 2025, we’ll review findings, gather feedback, and refining together on next steps.

What This Pilot Is — and What It Is Not

This pilot IS:

• A modern safety and accountability tool giving staff real-time visibility into student movement to better respond to safety concerns.

• An efficiency booster that streamlines hallway management and reduces interruptions to classroom learning. Example: Students request passes digitally, teachers approve in seconds, and lessons continue without pause — meaning less time lost and fewer classroom disruptions.

• A data-informed support tool to help identify patterns and ensure equitable access to instructional time.

• Part of our culture of care — research shows tools like this can reduce hallway conflicts and foster positive, respectful learning environments.

This pilot IS NOT:

• Not a tracking system — The system does not use GPS or monitor students outside the school. It simply records time, purpose, and destination during approved school-hour passes to help ensure safety and reduce disruptions.

• A replacement for trust — it supports student autonomy while balancing structure and flexibility.

• A punitive discipline tool — the focus is on support, not punishment.

• A risk to privacy — strict safeguards are in place to protect student data.

Privacy and Data Protection

We know that privacy matters. Here’s what you need to know:

• What’s collected: Only destination, time, and duration of approved passes during school hours.

• What’s not collected: No GPS tracking, no behavioral profiling, and no automatic flagging of frequent users without parent notification.

• How it’s protected: Access is limited to essential school staff, used only for safety and attendance, and fully complies with FERPA and COPPA laws.

• When data is reviewed: Only in situations like chronic absenteeism or significant hallway disruptions — similar to how attendance is already monitored.

Supporting Student Success

This system is designed to support students, not penalize them. It helps us:

• Identify students who may need additional academic help due to missed instructional time.
  Ensure equitable access to learning time for all students.

• Use aggregate data (not individual profiles) to improve scheduling, supervision, and facilities planning.

Your Rights and Involvement

• Full transparency: You’ll receive clear, multilingual information about how the system works.

• Parent access: You can view your student’s hall pass history via the ParentVUE mobile app.

• Special accommodations: We will develop individualized plans for students with medical, disability, or other unique needs.

• Active involvement: You’ll be notified about any hall pass-related discussions tied to behavior or interventions.

• Your Rights: You can view your student’s hall pass history, request accommodations for individual needs, receive notifications if hall pass data is connected to an intervention, and provide feedback at any time during the pilot.

Your Voice Matters

This pilot is not just about technology — it’s about collaboration:

• Student & family voices matter: Your input will shape what comes next.

• Equity is central: We will closely monitor impacts to ensure no student group is disproportionately affected.

Community Information Meetings

We will host five informational meetings — one at each of our four high schools (Churchill, North Eugene, Sheldon, South Eugene) and one at the participating middle school — to share details about the Electronic Hall Pass (EHP) pilot.

• First round (September – early October):
   Learn what the pilot is, how it works, and ask questions.

• Second round (late November):
   Hear what we’ve learned so far, review feedback, and help shape next steps.

• Exact dates and times will be shared soon.

Our Commitment

Our goal is to enhance student safety, protect valuable learning time, and strengthen our culture of care — all while fully respecting your rights as parents and your child’s privacy.

We promise to:

• Listen to your feedback and your student’s experience

• Adjust based on what we learn together

• Improve continuously to ensure every decision supports student success and well-being

We believe this pilot is an opportunity to learn as a community and co-create systems that keep our students safe, supported, and thriving.

Questions or Concerns?
 We welcome your thoughts and feedback:

• Building Principal: Ricci Huling (541) 790-4500

• District Director of Safety: Jen Bills (541) 790-7690

• Superintendent’s Office: (541) 790-7706
  
  

Sincerely,

Ricci Huling