The new SecurlyPass system came as a surprise to many of FCHS’s students this year. Instead of using a physical paper pass to the bathroom, students must now make an online request and wait for the teacher to approve it. Then, the pass tracks their time spent out of the classroom.
Students were initially told by teachers that the system would be difficult to work through, but that it would become easier over time. Some may view the new system as an innovative solution to prevent students from skipping class. However, others believe the SecurlyPass is nothing but an overly complicated barrier to a normal human function.
On the one hand, skipping class is a very real problem in high schools, and SecurlyPass is an attempt to address this issue. The management by teachers, monitored time, and limits on how many passes a student can use are some ways SecurlyPass supports classroom attendance.
“I like that SecurlyPass keeps the number of people in the bathrooms organized and keeps people in class and learning,” said junior Karley Johnson. As for School Safety Office Von Hill, he said “The Securly Pass system works very well. There are fewer people in the hallways now, which means there are fewer issues.”
Another benefit of Securly Pass is that certain areas of the school can easily become overcrowded, affecting students’ ability to use those spaces. For example, the bathrooms and the library can become particularly congested.
“I like it because it keeps the library more organized and it’s easier for the librarians to keep track of everyone,” said senior Autumn Noyes. With SecurlyPass, access to the library is limited, preventing it from becoming chaotic and helping maintain a focused environment.
Those who complain about the new system argue that students who frequently skip classes will continue to do so, regardless of the consequences.
“The only people who actually fill out the SecurlyPass are the students who care. Usually, the students caught skipping are the ones who don’t care enough to fill out the pass. It hasn’t stopped the kids who don’t care,” said junior Molly Cook ‘26. Junior Zach Rhea seems to agree. “I think it unnecessarily restricts students who use the bathroom appropriately, and I doubt it’s very effective at restricting those who use it inappropriately.”
Another potential drawback of SecurlyPass, at least as of the first couple of weeks of school, is that many people, is that it can be confusing for both students and staff.
“I hate SecurlyPass so much, and I think they sould go back to the regular passes. The regular passes were so much easier. SecurlyPass does nothing but confuse people. It’s not actually solving anything,” said junior River McMillian ‘26. Some argue that the new SecurlyPass system takes more time to set up, that teachers sometimes do not notice that students have requested approval for a pass, and that they often forget to sign students back in.
SecurlyPass may take some time to get used to. Teachers and students alike will need to adapt to its difficulties and appreciate its virtues. Most new systems are confusing at first, but as students and staff adjust, they will be able to determine if SecurlyPass effectively works well for FCHS.
