ID Passes

By John Tiberia 

​    New additions have been made to our security here at Oyster Bay High School, and some of them involve students.  Beginning next year, all students and staff members, will have to wear identification badges on lanyards at all times while on the school premises. 

     ​So, why do we need the ID badges? Will they be effective?  Well, with a quick glance at someone, staff will instantly know who belongs in the school versus who does not. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, less than 10 percent of schools require their students to wear ID badges. However, wearing an ID badge helps to ensure safety and security in school. Since Columbine, an effort to enhance school safety and security has been made a priority for many schools. These efforts have only increased since the more recent school shootings in the past few years.
     Students in grade 9 completed an anonymous survey about what they think of the new security measure. Out of 120 students surveyed, 43 students said they liked the idea of the identification badges, and 77 students said they did not.
     One ninth-grader commented, “The ID badges will look so bad on people.”
   Another ninth-grader expressed that “poor fashion is worth the price of our school’s safety.”
  Despite students’ reservations about the new requirement, our school made this decision for our safety; therefore, we can risk the poor fashion for the safety of our school and everyone in it . Over 187,000 people have been affected by gun violence in schools, so why not wear the identification badges?