Hall Pass System

Dear MMS Families,

As we welcome a new school year, we are committed to providing the necessary support and guidance to ensure student success!  This year, we are excited to introduce a new platform for digital hall passes to improve campus operations, called Minga.

Minga is a web-based campus management software program that offers many features to enhance student life at Miller. We chose Minga after careful research and collaboration with various entities within our school district, including Durango High School, Information Technology, Student Information Systems, and Safety and Security.

More details on the selection process are shared below.

Late last spring, we introduced the certified staff (teachers and support personnel) to the purpose and use of the digital hall passes. The district also trained all school security personnel on the new program. During the week of August 20th, we will present and teach students how to use the new hall pass process.

As we roll out this platform, we’d like to address some questions that were brought up during the initial rollout at DHS:

Does Minga track my social media use and online activities including posts, likes, and comments?

No. As with any vendor research involving student information, Durango School District requires a Data Protection Addendum (DPA) to be signed by the vendor the District Information Technology team, and the Student Information Systems team. This agreement is in place for Minga and DHS to protect student information and any data sharing of personal information. As outlined in the DPA, Minga is heavily restricted in accessing Personal Identifiable Information (PII), with penalties for any violations.

Is the school trying to track and provide surveillance of individual activity?

No. As mentioned above, MMS has been looking for a tool to replace tangible hallway passes, which are not always sanitary. Minga meets this need. Student data is not at risk, and students are not tracked or monitored beyond their name, the reason for being out of class, time spent outside of class, and when they are due back, using the Hall Pass feature. The Minga Hall Pass is simply a digital version of the paper hall passes we previously used.

What kind of research did the school do when evaluating this purchase?

Many eyes have reviewed the Minga terms of use. Part of the research included site visits to other top-performing high schools in Colorado, such as Cherry Creek High School in Denver, which has seen marked improvements in student involvement, reduced hallway traffic, and school spirit at various events. Their IT Director, Jason Koenig, was a key player in the passing of HB 16-1423 regarding student data privacy, ensuring compliance with the law.

Does this require students to have phones or download the app?

No. Miller Middle School will maintain our device procedure, which requires all devices to be turned off and put away during academic hours. Minga is a web-based program supported by the student’s District-provided Chromebook. Students will sign in/out using their Chromebook or an assigned Chromebook in class.

For more information, please refer to our FAQ, which is also available in Spanish.

If you have any questions, the administration team and I are available to follow up or provide clarification.

Best regards,

Vernadette Norman

Principal