Students have begun questioning if it is necessary for our school to enforce the wearing of student IDs, especially if other schools aren’t enforcing the same rules. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, only 7.4% of public schools in the US require students to carry IDs. It’s questionable if the ID system would serve a meaningful purpose in an insecure situation.

“While we’re still working out the kinks, I look forward to an effective ID-wearing system. With 1600+ students in the building, there is no way to know every one of them, and having students wear IDs helps us keep our school and hallways safe,” English teacher Kimberly Brownlee said.

This viewpoint provides a stark contrast against that of some students.

“It’s inconvenient, poorly enforced, and generally annoying…and causes unnecessary hassle elsewhere,” Sophomore Benjamin Ross said.

The ID system, no matter how inconvenient or annoying, is here to stay. Furthermore, it offers potential for student safety, which is seen as more important than minor annoyances.

“In the event of an emergency, the ID provides valuable information to to emergency personnel and assists faculty and administration with providing accurate information about students that they may not know personally. From the adult standpoint, wearing the ID is a minuscule sacrifice to ask for the peace of mind in knowing that students are safe,” said science teacher and administrative intern Ms. Camp.

For more information on school security around the country, see http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts.