By Kiera Riley | Yellow Sheet
The proposed state budget has excluded funding for an experimental biometric identification system planned for an unnamed school district following alarm bells sounded from lawmakers and the Arizona Department of Education.
Lawmakers floated some concern about student privacy and loss of school resource officers during the Joint Appropriations Committee on Wednesday. Then, in an amendment to the K-12 budget bill, they struck mention of the program altogether.
The origin of the Big Brother-esque proposal remains shrouded in mystery. A spokesperson for the state Department of Education clarified it was not the agency’s bill and declined to comment further, other than to point to Democratic Sen. Kiana Sears.
Sears didn’t respond to a request for comment either.
As introduced, the negotiated budget included a provision pulling $2 million from the School Safety Program to establish the School Safety Pilot Program at a single school district.
