How to Build an Affordable Tardy Kiosk

Maintaining an organized and efficient learning environment is crucial for any K-12 school. This includes implementing effective strategies to manage student attendance and ensure punctuality. Traditional methods of recording tardiness, such as manual tallying or using paper slips, can be time-consuming and prone to errors. Fortunately, there exists a cost-effective and streamlined solution: the tardy kiosk.

A tardy kiosk is a device that allows students to scan their student ID cards and mark themselves as tardy without the assistance of school staff. This data is then automatically recorded and stored providing school administrators with real-time insights into student tardiness patterns.

Setting up a tardy kiosk at your school may seem like an item that would be too expensive to fit your budget, however there is an affordable way to implement one using some of the resources your school might already have. The only added expense is a subscription service to PerfectPass, and an ID reader.

Building an affordable tardy kiosk for your K-12 school involves three simple steps:

1. 1. 1. Signing into PerfectPass on a Designated School Computer – PerfectPass is user-friendly tardy tracking software that serves as the backbone of your tardy kiosk system. PerfectPass is a yearly subscription service that allows administrators to scan IDs from any device and issue tardy passes, warnings and slips based on your school’s incident rule base. It can easily be set up in kiosk mode allowing you to turn any school PC into a self serve tardy station.
      2. Pairing an ID Reader and/or Printer – Depending on your school’s needs, you may opt to purchase an ID card reader, a pass printer, or both. ID card readers enable students to scan their cards using barcode or contactless technology, while printers allow the system to generate tardy slips if necessary.
      3. Setting Up the System at the School Office – Once the software and hardware components are ready, place the tardy kiosk in a visible and accessible location within the school office. Provide clear instructions for students on how to use the system.

Tardy kiosks offer a simple, cost-effective, and time-saving solution for managing student tardiness in K-12 schools. By automating tardy tracking, schools can streamline administrative processes, enhance efficiency, and dedicate more time to fostering a positive learning environment for all students.