Squeaking shoes and loud chatter are heard as the hallways fill with hundreds of students rummaging to get to class.
Allen High School has around more than 5,000 students and all of them are required to wear IDs every day.
“In this school IDs are important to let the staff and security know that a student in these hallways belongs here,” Security Monitor Micheal Parkes said. “That identifies them as a student at Allen High School, so we know that person is not out of place.”
With so many students at Allen High School, it can be hard to keep track of them and know who belongs and who does not so IDs are the best way to know. It is also important for not just students, but teachers and staff, especially when it comes to the safety of students.
“Be able to differentiate if you are a student on campus or if you have any business on campus or you do not need to be here.” School Resource Officer Garret Courtney said. “Well, we can have people that are unidentified within the student body which can pose a problem for the safety of the students.”
Without any IDs, anyone can walk into the school. This can put students and staff in dangerous situations.
“We could have seniors from last year or kids that have been told that they can’t come back to the school due to disciplinary issues come in with weapons and harm kids,” Security Monitor Cheree Powell said.
When it comes to emergencies involving students law enforcement can easily identify the student with their ID, making treating the student easier and more efficient.
“In the event of an emergency, student IDs can help first responders quickly identify students [and] staff,” according to Identification Systems Group.
IDs are also a big way for Allen to keep track of students’ attendance and what they take from the school. For example, when a student checks out a book from the school library, they have to scan their ID so the librarian can keep track of where the books are. “Students can use their ID cards to check out books, media materials, and other library items with either the swipe of a magnetic stripe, or the scan of a barcode,” according to Alpha Card.
IDs are crucial for purchasing lunch. Once a student scans their ID their account pulls up to show how much money the student has to take out of their account and to see if they owe money.
“A debit system allows parents to apply money to the cards so their children can charge against it rather than carry money in school,” according to ID Wholesaler.
An ID can create a tardy pass. If a student is riding the bus or shuttle and it comes late the student can scan their ID and a pass is created for them so they are not counted as tardy to class. But if a student is tardy to class they do have to get a tardy pass to show they are present in class.
“[IDs] help schools to track and monitor attendance rates, which can be useful for identifying patterns of absenteeism and addressing any issues that may be contributing to poor attendance,” according to Specialist ID Inc.
