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📷 "No Tracking," They Said — But Page 10 Tells a Different Story
PfISD’s district-wide email downplayed the new Z Pass program, insisting it was only about bus safety — “no GPS tracking of individual students,” they wrote.
But when we dug up page 10 of The Pflyer (the very page the email told parents to read), it paints a much bigger picture.
That page doesn’t just describe buses. It says students will use their new RFID “contactless” cards for:
* food service
* library checkout
* entry to school games
* other daily events (vague)
And for elementary students, these cards will be attached to backpacks.
So while the email reassures parents that nothing is being “tracked,” the official district publication quietly confirms that the same RFID cards will be scanned inside the building, across multiple functions tied to each student’s identity.
That means PfISD isn’t just logging when kids board a bus — it’s creating time-stamped records of where and when students use their IDs throughout the school day.
Under Texas Education Code §26.009 and FERPA §99.7, parents must be told when identifiable student data is collected, must have access to it, and must be given an opt-out or consent option.
Yet not one of those rights was mentioned in the email.
So which version should parents believe — the one that minimizes what’s happening, or the one buried on page 10 that spells it out?
Buddy Falcon Media, LLC 
Keeping Watch. Always.
PfISD launches ‘contactless’ student cards — sold as safety, raising questions about tracking.
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📷 PfISD Responds Within Hours of Buddy Falcon Report on Weiss RFID Rollout 📷
Hours after Buddy Falcon Media raised questions publicly, Pflugerville ISD sent an email to families announcing that Weiss High School is the first campus to launch a new RFID ID tracking system.
In the district’s own words, students were issued their new IDs “earlier this week.”
That means the rollout had already taken place *before* parents were ever informed it existed.
Two additional campuses are expected to follow later this fall, with a districtwide expansion planned for early 2026. Elementary schools will be next, with badges attached to backpacks “for easy use.”
Parents deserve real answers—and real transparency:
• Why Weiss first? Was there any board approval, public discussion, or formal vote?
• Why not start with elementary campuses, where the likelihood of students boarding the wrong bus is higher?
• Why Zonar? Who selected this vendor, and was there a competitive bidding process?
• How much is the total cost—including hardware, software, licensing, and data storage?
• Why wasn’t this announced before rollout in a clear, visible way? (Page ten of a digital newsletter doesn’t qualify as public notice.)
• When were the IDs actually issued, and why did the district wait until after they were in students’ hands to make any announcement?
• Why weren’t parents allowed to opt out or even understand how their child’s data would be used?
• What happens if a student forgets or loses their card? Are they denied bus service or marked absent?
• How long is the data retained, and who has access to it? Does that include third-party vendors or law enforcement?
• If only a fraction of students ride buses, why were all students issued RFID IDs?
• Is there a plan to integrate this system inside the building—to track attendance, monitor movement, or replace bathroom passes?
• And if there’s “no GPS tracking,” as the district claims, why does GPS data appear in the system at all?
District leaders call this transparency.
But real transparency means notifying families before implementing technology that tracks their children—not after it’s exposed.
Parents didn’t learn about this from the district.
They learned about it because someone asked the questions the district didn’t want to answer.
If Buddy Falcon hadn’t reported it, when would they have sent the notice?
Buddy Falcon Media, LLC Keeping Watch. Always.
KXAN News KVUEChevonne, Pflugerville ISD Trustee, Place 7 Pflugerville ISD Weiss High School FOX 7 Austin
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📷 RFID Tech May Have Evolved — But Consent and Transparency Haven’t
Already today I’ve received multiple messages from parents concerned about the materials embedded in student ID badges, as reported yesterday. After looking into similar cases in other districts, these questions are not new — but the technology has certainly evolved.
In 2013, a Texas district used RFID-chipped badges to track attendance. The program caused backlash over privacy, parental consent, and student rights — and was eventually dropped after it failed to improve attendance.
[Wired: “Texas Students Rebel Against RFID Tracking” (2013)](https://www.wired.com/2013/08/student-rfid-chip-flap/...)
By 2014, several states began backing away from student tracking programs using RFID or biometric data, citing privacy and security risks.
[Stateline: “States Backtrack on Student Tracking Technology” (2014)](https://stateline.org/.../states-backtrack-on-student.../...)
Since then, RFID and “smart ID” technology have advanced — and while some systems are more secure today, the same questions still apply. Improved technology doesn’t erase the need for transparency or consent.
If new badges include updated features, parents have a right to understand exactly how they function and what data, if any, is being collected or transmitted.
Families deserve clear answers to basic questions:
* What is embedded in the badges?
* Does it transmit or store any personal or location data?
* What safeguards protect students from unauthorized access or tracking?
* Were parents informed and given the chance to consent or opt out?
Even if this technology is safe and harmless, the lack of communication is what creates mistrust. Schools should lead with openness — not silence — especially when it involves our children’s privacy and safety.
Buddy Falcon Media, LLC Keeping Watch. Always.
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Hallway Fight Video Sparks Concern Over Campus Safety and Staff Accountability
A video shared with Buddy Falcon Media by a concerned parent shows an altercation between two students inside a school hallway.What stands out most is not the fight itself, but the response of the adults present. Several staff members are nearby, including a behavior teacher identified as Ramon Nazrio, whose role typically includes assisting with de-escalation and maintaining safety. In the footage, there appears to be little visible intervention or urgency as the situation unfolds.The parent who provided the video described being deeply disturbed by the lack of response from the adults and concerned for her child’s safety—particularly given prior interactions with Principal Hunt, Assistant Principal Oduwole, and Assistant Principal Tran. Those earlier encounters, she says, make this incident even more troubling, as she feels her son has been specifically targeted.This raises serious questions about staff preparedness, supervision, and the consistency of safety protocols on campus. Parents deserve assurance that every child is protected and that concerns are treated seriously, not dismissed.— Buddy Falcon Media, LLC 
Keeping Watch. Always.
📹 Weiss High School — Pflugerville, TX
🚨 Weiss AP Tran Tells Parent to "Find Other Options" 🚨
A parent of a special needs student shared a recording with me. In it, Assistant Principal Tran tells her she “obviously trusts them since she sends her child to school every day.”
The mother pushes back — she says she doesn’t trust them. Tran’s response? “Then you need to find other options.”
The parent explains she has none. This is her zoned public school. She can’t just move 
.
And that’s the problem. Public schools are supposed to be the option. 
They exist so every child has a right to an
🪶 BUDDY FALCON 🦅 KEEPING WATCH. ALWAYS.
Pflugerville ISD terminated a guest educator in 2022 after an investigation found he violated district policies related to student safety and professional conduct. That educator—Brian Ewell—is now working with students again as the ISS coordinator at Weiss High School.
According to district records, the incident began when a student reported that Ewell used the slur “faggot” during class. Initial reports indicate he called the student the slur. Ewell allegedly confronted the student during lunch and made statements that staff later described as threatening and inappropriate. The district’s investigation concluded that his actions endangered the emotional safety of students and warranted termination.
Fired in 2022. Back in 2025. PfISD’s Silence on Brian Ewell Raises New Questions.
Email form PFISD HR terminating Ewell, who was soon hired by Weiss admin as a ISS supervisor.
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🚨 PfISD Finally Admitted Something (and Yes, They Put It in Writing) 🚨
A letter from Pflugerville ISD to the parent of one of the students in the FOX 7 Austin fight video acknowledges that repeated requests for a bullying investigation were ignored, and that a “pattern of acts created a threatening environment.”
Fast forward, and we’re looking at a classroom fight with the same student. The debate online has been about which student started it. But let’s be honest — that’s not the real question. The question is: why are students being allowed, even encouraged, to fight at school?
In the video, the coach appears to be holding the door. And let’s be clear — he’s widely regarded as a good coach, well-liked and respected by the kids. That’s not in dispute. The issue is bigger: where was his supervising assistant principal, Leslie Oduwole? Where was the administration? Better yet, where are they now?
Adults should be intervening. Adults should be showing students how to solve problems without fists. Adults should be modeling real conflict resolution, especially in public schools, at a time when there’s already too much violence in the world.
Instead, at Weiss High School, what we see is a fight culture. Students brag about fighting. They call home to boast about their little sister fighting. They pass around videos, saying things like, “hey, did you see my fight?” or bragging about “fighting a white girl.” I’ve received plenty of these videos myself, though I won’t post them here for obvious reasons.
At the end of the day, this isn’t about one kid, or one coach. It’s about a district that admits bullying has happened, yet leaves students and staff to deal with the fallout. And if that’s what “impartial and thorough investigation” looks like, it’s no wonder parents have lost trust.
Repeated parent requests for an official bullying investigation, prior to October 22, 2022, were not
"During his time at ______ Middle School, ______ has experienced a pattern of acts by one or more students that exploited an imbalance of power through physical conduct that has created a threatening educational environment."