Across the U.S., a growing number of states are implementing classroom and school-day phone bans to protect student mental health, reduce distractions, and improve campus safety. As of 2025, more than half of all states have enacted policies restricting or prohibiting cell phone use during the school day. Districts that rely on student phones for attendance tracking now face a serious compliance challenge.
The Problem with Phone-Based Attendance Tools
Many edtech vendors offer attendance solutions that depend on mobile phones for student check-ins. Whether it’s scanning a QR code, using GPS or Bluetooth beacons, or tracking Wi-Fi proximity, all of these methods require the one thing schools are now moving to restrict: the student’s smartphone.
Here’s why that’s a growing concern:
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Non-compliance with new legislation: Phone-based tools may conflict with state-level bans, putting districts at legal or policy risk.
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Limited accuracy: GPS and Bluetooth can’t reliably verify classroom-level presence and often provide only rough proximity data.
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Equity issues: Not every student has a phone, or consistent access to one, creating potential disparities in tracking and accountability.
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Privacy risks: Tracking student devices raises valid concerns from parents and privacy advocates, especially in light of increasing scrutiny around student data protection.
The ScholarChip Solution: Attendance Without Phones
ScholarChip offers a smarter, compliant solution: RFID-based attendance using smart ID cards issued by the district. These cards allow students to tap in at building entry kiosks and classroom readers — no phones, no manual processes, no privacy risks.
Key benefits:
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Works seamlessly with bell-to-bell phone bans
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Ensures accurate classroom and building attendance
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Reduces time spent taking roll in class
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Integrates directly with major SIS platforms for real-time data reporting
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Increases student accountability with minimal classroom disruption
Enhancing Visibility with ScholarChip SALA
In addition to building and classroom attendance, ScholarChip’s Student Ad-hoc Location App (SALA) helps schools keep track of students in unscheduled or flexible settings — like visits to the nurse, guidance office, or library.
SALA allows students to tap their ID cards upon arrival and departure from any monitored location, creating a digital trail that improves accountability and reduces paper-based tracking.
SALA benefits include:
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Real-time visibility into student movements
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Faster intervention when students are missing from class
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Exportable reports for audits, compliance, or planning
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Support for after-school and extracurricular monitoring
Increasingly, districts are also placing SALA readers outside bathroom locations — a strategic move to track who was in the restroom at a specific time in the event of a disciplinary incident or vandalism. This also helps identify patterns of excessive or repeated visits, addressing one of the most common “overlooked” excuses students use to leave class.
With SALA, staff no longer need to wonder if a student made it to the office they were sent to. It’s a powerful tool for increasing safety and ensuring students are where they’re supposed to be — without relying on smartphones.
As phone bans become more widespread, districts must future-proof their attendance strategies. ScholarChip provides a path forward that prioritizes safety, compliance, and efficiency. With smart ID cards, schools get reliable attendance data, reduced administrative overhead, and a technology solution that aligns with evolving policies and supports all students equally.
