Inside Munger Elementary-Middle School on Martin Street on Detroit's southwest side, what looks like a horizontal iPad is installed just inside the school's front entrance. Every visitor to the school must present a valid form of identification, such as a driver's license, to have it scanned by the iPad and then have their face scanned. When the two images are cross-referenced and verified, the visitor's information is saved in the school's system for future visits. The system is part of a new facial recognition software system, called Visitor Aware, now in place at every Detroit Public Schools Community District school. The system matches visitors' faces against a valid form of identification before they're allowed into the school. When visitors are flagged, they may not be allowed in the building. Munger Elementary-Middle School Principal Donnell Burroughs said the software, which was officially rolled out earlier this school year, was needed for security. It's "more secure and safe" than a traditional sign-in sheet for visitors, Burroughs said. But critics have concerns about how facial recognition is being used in schools. Some cited privacy concerns and worried about inaccurate identifications, meaning someone is flagged when he or she shouldn't be. Others said they worry about the technology having a chilling effect, possibly discouraging some parents from visiting their children's schools. “What these systems are trying to do is to automate student security without human involvement," said Molly Kleinman, managing director of the University of Michigan's Science, Technology and Public Policy program. Detroit is one of 12 districts in Michigan that use Visitor Aware, according to its parent company Singlewire. Bloomfield Hills Schools also launched Visitor Aware last month. Both the Detroit school district and Bloomfield Hills Schools said it streamlines the process for allowing visitors into buildings and that keeping students and staff