School boards and administration across the country are asking themselves what they can do to make students safer.
The District 205 School Board approved a policy Monday that aims to add an extra layer of safety.
Board members unanimously voted yes on the 2018-19 student code of conduct which includes for the first time a requirement that students must display their student ID on a lanyard.
Junior high and high school students would be required to wear lanyards around their neck that carry their school IDs at all times.
Elementary students would not be required to wear a lanyard but all staff through the K-12 levels would be.
Director of Human Resources Jon Bradburn said the policy was being introduced for “safety reasons.”
Bradburn said it would cost students $5 for a replacement ID.
Board member Wayne Statham inquired about how common the practice is in other districts.
Superintendent John Asplund said that he hasn’t worked in a district for a while that hasn’t required students to carry their ID on a lanyard.
“To be able to tell a student ‘look for somebody with the lanyard like yours and I.D. like yours so you know that that’s an adult you want to talk to,'” said Asplund.
Conversely it can help staff identify youth or adults that are in the building without authorization.
During the vote on the updated code Member Statham shook his head and commented “these are sad times.”
