(wjhg)
Roll call is a thing of the past in Washington County Schools. Students now check in with finger scanning devices.

School Superintendent Sandra Cook said the old method just wasn't cutting it.

"We got to talking about attendance in our district and how it was inconsistent," said Cook.

The systems have been up and running for two months inside the schools, but since the majority of students ride the bus every day, district officials decided to move the devices there.

The school district plans to test the equipment in a handful of buses in the next week and hopes to have each one operational by November or December at the latest.

"When it's all said and done, we're going to find that this is going to be one of the most monumental things that Washington County has ever done," said Cook.

The finger scan device costs the school district about $30 per student each year. Parents can still opt for their children to sign in the traditional way...
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