> SOUTHERN INDIANA — Tracking the problem of using scanners



This letter is concerning the new tracking system about to be implemented at Jeffersonville High School. First, I want to disclose that my wife is a member of the Greater Clark County Schools board and these observations are mine and not from her.

The main reason given for tracking is to help with the tardy problems, and the disruptions they cause when a student enters a classroom late. With this system, if a student is one minute late, the door will be closed and the student will be required to go to a predetermined location and have their ID scanned. If you have 20 students tardy after they get scanned with only two scanners, you are now four or five minutes late.

Now what ... are the students then allowed into class missing four to five minutes of class time instead of the one minute they would originally have been to cause the same disruption you are attempting to stop or will they be sent somewhere else so there is no disruption to class? Either way, the student loses.

It was stated in last Wednesday’s story in the News and Tribune that Greater Clark will be able to tell parents when their student arrives and leaves a sporting event or dance at the school. The only way this can be done is scanning their ID card, and if a student has purchased a ticket to the event and forgets his or her ID are they going to be denied admittance because they can’t be scanned? If so do they get a refund?

You tell us that you will be able to tell a parent when a student leaves an event; again the ID would have to be scanned to be sure, so you would have to man every exit so no student leaves without being scanned. At a JHS basketball game, the arena holds roughly 5,500 fans; let’s say 2,000 are adults, then we now have 2,500 students. Say 500 are visitors, so we now have 2,000 JHS students. It was stated at the recent school board meeting we could afford two scanners, so we now have 2,000 students to scan and two scanners.

How long is it going to take to get students out and is the fire marshal going to allow this? Did the administration, or the board ask these questions? I hope we don’t look back and find we wasted $12,000 on a system that cannot be used the way it was presented or was it simply rushed into to “get a deal.”

— Dan Christensen, Jeffersonville



Reader likes Yoder’s debate challenge



Shelli Yoder’s challenge to her opponent, Todd Young, to debates in each of the 13 counties of District 9 is a great idea.

It will restore to voters the immediacy, reality and participation in the electoral process which have been lost through the heavy use of television campaign ads.

I hope Young agrees to the debates, so we can decide who will best represent the constituents of the 9th District in Congress.

— Carol Tvaroh, New Albany



Reader comments on recent wire article



Before using articles that come to you for reprint, I wish you would check the facts therein.

In the article from the South Bend Tribune you used in the July 27, 2012, issue of The News and Tribune, there was a story by Kevin Allen that covered the election for Sen. Dick Lugar’s Senate seat in which he said President Obama, Congress and Rep. Joe Donnelly want to extend the Bush tax rates only for people making less than $250,000. Wrong.

The Senate voted to end the tax cuts for everyone. All millionaires would have the same rate of taxation they have now on the first $250,000. Tax rates are now the lowest in 30 years. It is time for those making over $250,000 to pay more, after their first $250,000, and get us back to the time of Bill Clinton when we created 32 million jobs with higher taxes on those of us who have been so blessed. Most small businesses would not be affected.

These issues are difficult for the average voter to understand. I wish the press would pay more attention to informing the citizenry in a responsible way. The same misleading article was published in the Courier-Journal and throughout the state.

— Barb Donahue, Jeffersonville