The new Smart Pass policy, introduced at the start of this school year, has quickly become a major topic of conversation across the whole campus. Implemented to regulate student movement and reduce missed class time, the system requires students to request and log passes digitally before leaving class. While administrators and teachers see the policy as a necessary step toward order, many students view it as restrictive and damaging to trust.

The Smart Pass system is significant because it represents more than just a new rule, it is shaping the culture of daily student life. For teachers, it is a way to keep track of students and prevent unnecessary wandering around during class. For students, however, the policy creates concerns about freedom, responsibility, and trust. These different perspectives enhance the tension between keeping structure in schools and preparing young adults for independence.

“I know for a fact that there were many incidents, like a lot of students were missing class or going away too many times to the bathroom,” explained Camilo Hoyos, a Columbus School high school teacher for 5+ years. “Not really to the bathroom, but just to hang out with the excuse of going to the bathroom. So yeah, there were incidents that led to this.”

The administration’s decision to implement Smart Pass was not made randomly. Teachers report repeated problems with students misusing privileges, and the new system is meant to limit disruptions while keeping students accountable. Still, the change has not come without friction.

“It has harmed students’ freedom and it has a bad impact,” said Alicia Baquero, a 12th grade student. “Because I think we are 12th graders, and people in high school are starting to get ready for university. We need to start learning how to manage our time and be responsible.”

She expressed frustration with how the policy reduces independence for the oldest preparing for the transition to college life. For her, the Smart Pass feels less like a tool for accountability and more like a barrier to trust between students and teachers.

Camilo Hoyos sees it differently, noting that any new policy comes with adjustment. “It has been normalized, I mean it is a process. Any change, positive or negative, is going to cause struggle in the beginning,” he said. “Eventually, it’s going to become just part of the culture.”

Still, the 12th graders believe the system is unnecessary compared to the past. “I think it was not necessary, and I think before it worked a lot better,” Alicia said. 

She argued that before Smart Pass, teachers already had more direct control and trusted students to manage their time responsibly.

Camilo Hoyos acknowledged that feedback on the policy is mixed. “I’ve heard both, I’ve heard good things and bad things. Some of the negatives are, ‘I hate the Smart Pass thing, I don’t understand it.’ Maybe they are struggling with technology. But the positives are that we’ll be able to see the stats and act accordingly, so everything is more systematized and more organized,” Hoyos explained.

Alicia, on her end, worries that the new system is damaging student-teacher relationships. “I think Smart Pass hasn’t had a good impact at all, and I think the relationship between teachers and students is getting worse,” she said. “They are just worried about the Smart Pass and not getting in trouble.”

While both sides recognize the policy as a major shift, the debate centers on what matters more: structure or independence. For administrators and teachers, Smart Pass offers accountability and transparency. For students, especially those preparing for life after high school, it feels like a step backward in trust and freedom.

The controversy over Smart Pass reflects a larger conversation happening in schools all around the world: how to balance discipline with student autonomy. Digital systems like Smart Pass promise accountability, but they also risk undermining the independence students need to develop before graduation.

In the end, the policy’s success may depend on whether it can strike that balance. As Hoyos put it, “For any type of system that is being applied for the first time, it needs a period of grace. Maybe a year of use could give us some pretty good insights to see if it is working and being assimilated properly for students, teachers, and the administration.”