Bryan Adams High School in east Dallas (Dallas traditionally having one of the worst graduation rates among large school districts) is trying a pilot program using GPS/cellular ankle bracelets to fight truancy among high-schoolers.

This of course is raising questions about the balance between privacy and the public good — which even the system manufacturer acknowledges: “You can paint this thing as either Big Brother, or this is a device that connects you to a buddy who wants to keep you safe and help you graduate.”