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For the uninitiated, the UnWelcome Desk is the first thing a person sees when entering Minneapolis South High School through the parking lot/32nd Street entrance. It basically consists of a teacher's desk with a computer and an ID scanning device occupied by a low-paid hall monitor the entire time the building is open, which is from before 7:30 am until well after 8 pm on most days. The monitor generally is able to force visitors to wear ID badges, and students to either show their plastic ID card or get a temporary paper ID. However, during peak traffic times, they are not always able to force everyone to comply with these nonsense rules.

Why Does the School Waste Money on This?

South Sucks Poll Which of the following do you hate the most? The UnWelcome Desk ID checking Hall Sweeps Tiger Talk Administration in General Tardy Policy Attendance Policy Using same mop for floor and tables Current Results

They claim that it is necessary for security. Unfortunately, the system allows so many people to slip through that if there ever really was a threat, we would all be quite screwed. If there was a demonstrated danger, and the security plan actually kept persistent people out, then it would at least be somewhat reasonable. But the current situation is nothing more than a smokescreen, and for that reason, we feel that it's just a good way for more people to enjoy secure jobs in the public sector and administrators to be able to show the public a supposed reason for their paychecks.

How Much Money is Going DOWN THE DRAIN?

Well, our wasteful friends at the school district spent $1 on each student's original ID badge every year. This costs over $2,000 per year. Next, the school has to pay an employee to man the desk for at least 13 hours a day. $10/hr x 13= $130.⁰⁰ a day, PLUS other staff members waste their time manning other entrances at the beginning and end of each regular school day, as well as during lunch. This likely costs over $50 a day in wasted manpower, which brings us to $180 a day on security. Multiply this by 170 days, and you get over $30,600 a year for ineffective "security detail", plus the two grand for the IDs. Add extra expenses like electricity and maintenance for their computer, expense accounts, and other cases of them treating tax money like it's nothing, and you get a conservative (low) estimate of the annual expense for this nonsense of over $35,000!!! And some people still can't figure out why schools want more money every year despite their habit of returning dismal results in terms of student achievement...amazing.--Dr. Vinny, South High Sucks.com Founder & Publisher

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