Beyond Digital IDs:
Stamford High’s Innovative Approach to Open Campus Safety
In a quest for digital student IDs, Stamford High School discovered the transformative potential of a full campus management platform. The school eliminated paper-based processes, consolidated its toolset, and revolutionized its entire culture of learning — all in just a few months.
About Stamford High
Students
2500
Grades
9-12
THE CHALLENGE
Balancing Flexibility With Security at an Open Campus
Located in Connecticut, a stone’s throw from New York City, Stamford High School is an urban campus that is a beacon of diversity. The school’s downtown location — with easy access to city amenities — meant that, for many years, students have had the freedom to come and go at various times throughout the day.
Following the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy in 2012, Stamford swiftly rolled out ehnanced safety and security measures to support their open campus culture — but now it was time to go even further. The school needed to tighten up its open campus policy and the lack of a reliable student ID was preventing this.
KEY PROBLEM AREAS:
“
Because there was no clear policy in place, kids were just walking out. So it was a challenging situation for our administration. Could we come up with something so we could be fair to students? A way for them, if they have the right, to get out in the sun for half an hour?”
The Solution
A One-Stop Shop for Campus Administration
While looking for ways to strengthen and support Stamford’s open campus policy, School Administrator, Jeremy Fiftal, came across a variety of solutions that specialized solely in digital IDs. But he quickly realized the importance of a holistic approach that could cater to the entire school’s needs — rather than having his staff and students use multiple, separate apps.
Seeking a one-stop solution, Jeremy came across Minga and was impressed by its intuitive user interface and seamless integration with Google. The single sign-on feature was particularly appealing as it would significantly reduce the administrative workload of getting thousands of students onboarded onto the new platform.
When comparing Minga with other companies, it became apparent to Jeremy that a full campus management platform could not only bolster safety and security but also elevate the entire learning environment.
What Minga Offered:
“
I have a hundred different apps for people to use. So a one-stop-shop became my focus, and I found Minga by looking for digital IDs. It was obvious the others didn’t cover what we needed across the board.”
The Outcomes
A Safer & Enhanced Open Campus for All
A safer environment and clear visibility of campus movement
Digital IDs and hall passes have provided clearer visibility of student movement — increasing safety and security across 3 large buildings and also off-campus.
Streamlining operations while building a case for future resources
Headaches around paper-based processes have been eliminated and detailed reports that show ROI have become vital tools for budgeting and securing future funding.
Significantly reduced hallway traffic
Digital hall passes have cleared up Stamford’s crowded hallways and made pass issuance simpler for staff — leading to increased student accountability and a less disruptive learning environment.
Creating equity and strengthening student-teacher relationships
Clearer hall pass procedures have created greater equity on campus, enabling educators to focus on teaching rather than dealing with conflicts over bathroom breaks.
A culture of learning and being in class
Frequent flyers have stopped aimlessly roaming the halls, which has created a ripple effect across the entire student body — reinforcing the expectation to remain engaged in learning.
Promoting student accountability
Self-created hall passes and live countdown timers have nurtured a sense of responsibility among students, equipping them with essential skills for life beyond school.
Are You Ready to Streamline Operations & Enhance Security?
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“
The digital IDs were an instant fix. We had hardly any kids with an ID to almost every single kid with an ID. It really helps the campus safety aspect — knowing everybody who’s in the building and having these photos that are up to date.
Plus, we have quieter halls now. When I walk around the building, it’s just a different environment. And that sets a nice culture of learning and being in class.”