A new security layer, ID check ins, has been added to the protocol this semester. When students enter the building they are required to show their ID to an administrator, dean or security guard.
Principal Beirman said they decided to implement ID checks so that they could know who should be and should not be on campus to increase security and safety. Another reason for the change is because of the recent school shootings and anonymous school threats that were going on at the beginning of the year. Beirman adds that the school buses might add ID scanners to get on the bus but aren’t fully certain that would happen.
Security officer, Joe Schimeiler, said “Generally it’s a good idea to have ID checks to know who is inside of the school” which compliments what the principal said about the security and safety. Joe admits it’s sometimes hard to check everyone’s ID when there is a big rush, and hopes there will be more security added on top of this to check IDs more efficiently.
Dean Jon Fairbanks also adds “there should be some system to check IDs” so that everyone is safer and more reliable. Because with so many people coming into the building at once it’s easy for deans and security to miss a person rather than if we have a scanner you see who comes and goes via a database.
Students seem to be divided on the idea of checking ids when entering the school.
Arianna Adamson (11), said she “Understands why they’re doing it” although Ember says, “The lines are long” and doesn’t like the ID checks. Aiden Granquist (11) says he plain out “hates it” because in his words “He doesn’t find it necessary to use IDs since it’s not really going to stop a school shooter.” However Cooper Alvarado (11) says it doesn’t bother him since it’s pretty fast, but he also said he doesn’t find it necessary either. Felicity Hackethal says, “it doesn’t make it any safer- Kids can just walk in during lunch or when there’s a big crowd”. The main problems students like Felicity and Ember find that getting an ID is a little hard and lines tend to get rather long when entering the building or not having ids when entering. Another issue a lot of students seem to have is the policy when forgetting or not having an ID, the students feel that a lunch detention without warning is a bit much and unfair. The principal however said that students will eventually get used to it and the process will become faster and more efficient. Depending on the school budget they might just add scanners so that students can swipe and go. This can help decrease problems students and staff have for getting into the school, such as a scanner that unlocks the front doors to enter the school and separate lines to scan your card to be allowed to be in school. So for example when you scan your ID and it runs a data check to see if you’re in the school system and if you’re suspended or not.
