Kevin Vachhani, 15, a junior at Danbury High School, sits Thursday for his yearbook photo that also will be used as part of a school identification card. Posted on 09/23/2005 12:22:55 PM PDT by LurkedLongEnough
DANBURY — Wearing visible photo identification to school is kind of a hassle, said Kevin Vachhani. But the Danbury High School junior added the new policy could be useful.
Chantal Rainville, a senior, said it would be all right. Kevin Vachhani, 15, a junior at Danbury High School, sits Thursday for his yearbook photo that also will be used as part of a school identification card.
"It's meant to protect us. At least we don't have to wear uniforms," she said. "We can wear it around our neck or on our belt. I'll wear it on a belt so it's not in the way."
Danbury High students always had photo ID cards, but this year they will be expected to wear them at school. The school's faculty and staff already are wearing IDs, though it's voluntary for them to do so.
The state's second largest high school has joined a growing number of schools around the state that require visible IDs for students and/or staff while on campus.
"It's another piece in our attempt to create better security at the high school," principal Catherine Richard said Thursday.
Richard, who wears her ID on a retractable cord on her belt, said the Fairfield school where she worked last year used visible photo IDs. Schools in East Hartford, West Hartford, Bridgeport and Westport also require them.
"We've found that a lot of schools our size have them," Richard said. "When you have as many adults in the building as we have, and the number of people who come in from the outside like parents and mentors, we thought it was time to identify who we are."
One catalyst for the change was last spring's thefts from the locker area while students were playing sports after school.
This year, Richard hired a monitor for the area and the IDs will ensure everyone who is there is supposed to be there.
As part of security improvements, the school district spent about $60,000 last summer replacing locks on 40 exterior doors to limit access.
The cafeteria staff will use the bar code on each student's ID card to charge for food, and the school library also will use the ID.
"I see a lot of uses for this. It can create a safer environment," Richard said.
At Newtown High School, faculty, staff and students have IDs, but only faculty IDs must be visible.
Last year, the student ID was expanded to work as a debit card. Parents can pay in advance for cafeteria food, and students give the cashier the card.
Newtown High students also use their cards in the library.
Bethel High requires visitors to show a photo ID when they come into the school to visit, but the staff, faculty and students don't wear visible IDs.
At Danbury High on Thursday, students lined up to be photographed for the yearbook and their ID card.
Senior Katie Coelho said she didn't think a picture ID would be very useful.
"Most kids sneak out of school — not into school," the 17-year-old Coelho said. "I'm not going to protest it. I'll go along with it, but I don't see the relevance. It's like everyone wearing a license when they're driving."
Danielle Moraes, a junior, said she didn't use her ID before, but now she'll use it in the cafeteria and the library. She said it's good if it improves security.
"I think it's all right," she said. "If you think about it like that, it could be reassuring."
To me, mandatory visible ID is just one more rule implying that kids are not safe in schools. The rule, and the associated expense, are symptomatic of deeper issues and of liberal "feel-good" mandates.
We are Borg and we obey...
We've got'em here in Ft. Walton Beach...........
How? how? in the Lord's mighty name did any of us make it through school without all this government protection.
I am stuned that I'm even here at all.
Get 'em used to showing their papers early in life, and you won't have such a hassle when you make a tattoo/barcode mandatory later.
All in all it's just a...nother brick in the wall...
Stow High School in Stow, OH has them.
I don't have a problem with this. I wear an ID badge at work, and it's no big deal. I agree that society itself has changed for the worse and this is another sign of it, but I'm not one of those who wants to fight these kinds of measures while I'm waiting for society to change back. That said, if I were a parent and my school installed metal detectors, my kid would be gone from the place the next day. If they're having to shake down the students for guns and shivs, it's clearly not safe.
Danbury ought to institute the policy here. I am sitting in my office on a military base. If I do not wear my photo ID -- and do not produce one when challenged -- the security detail can shoot to kill and then find out who I am.
That policy tends to prevent a lot of mischief around here.
"Boy, it's lucky for them they only pushed me a yard," said Kevin Vachhani. "If they'd pushed me four feet, I'd have really gotten mad."
"As part of security improvements, the school district spent about $60,000 last summer replacing locks on 40 exterior doors to limit access."
$1,500 per lock? What a bargain!
We need photo IDs that verified voters have to display
That's the school spirit, just let the government take care of everything. How bout a DNA sample? How bout a urine sample? After all it's meant to protect you.
Aiken County, SC schools required photo id at least in the high school when my kids went (4 years ago). I don't know if they still do or not. If you showed up without your id it was detention.
Did it work? I'm new to posting pictures.
They's union locks.
This is something new?
That's my movie.
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