An email from Principal Mr. Tony Hall addressed  the school community and recently revealed plans for a new and improved school ID policy. Since this email was released, students have been expected to have their school IDs or StudentVue ready to be checked each morning before being permitted to enter the building. Although most students agree that the intentions of this policy are good, many are disgruntled by the execution of this new system. In addition, students have expressed confusion about this policy’s origins and how  our school’s policy differentiates from the general APS guidelines.

School Board Policy J-15.33 explains the APS regulations and requirements for the accessibility of student IDs.

“In order to verify student identity and maintain a safe and secure school environment, Arlington Public Schools provides student identification (ID) cards,” the policy says. “Students provided with ID cards are expected to carry their ID cards at all times or be able to show their student information system account through their phone or other electronic device when at school and during school functions.”

Although School Board Policy J-15.33 does include the ability to present a student ID at all times, it does not require the checking of student IDs by school personnel in the mornings. This is a development unique to the school. In Principle Hall’s recent email, he explained that revisions to the morning arrival protocols had been made to require morning ID checking.

“As we have reviewed our morning arrival protocols, we would like to enhance our security and safety measures for students entering the building,” Principal Hall said. “Starting Wed, Nov. 6, students will be required to show an approved form of identification to school staff to enter the main building or the W-L annex.”

The doors that students enter through have also been regulated significantly by this new policy barring access to door six  and other entrances that were frequently used by students in the mornings.

“Students will be allowed to enter through door one, door five, or the main door to the W-L annex,” Principal Hall said. “Door six is for use during transition periods between classes.”

In this recent email, Principal Hall included a reminder to students about re-entry into the building throughout the school day.

“As a reminder, during the school day, door one is the only entry point to the main building, along with the main entrance doors to the W-L annex,” Principal Hall said. “During lunchtime, seniors may exit via any school exit but must re-enter through door one of the main building or the main door of the W-L annex, and will need to show student identification to re-enter the building.”

This new policy raises  questions about  whether the policy is effective. If students can re-enter the building without having their IDs checked, does checking IDs in the morning actually prevent potential threats?

 Sophomore student Riley McDonnell expressed her concern about the constant flow of students between the main building and the annex.

“[The new ID policy] works if you have one building and people aren’t going in and out of the building all day, but because we have the annex, it’s not very effective,” McDonnell said. “If they got it to work, I think it would improve the safety at our school, but as of right now, it’s not really doing very much.”

McDonnel raises a point expressed by all the students interviewed: the school’s safety. Most students would agree that improvements to school safety are a good thing. However, many disagree with how the school is creating these improvements. Natalie Flashberg, another 10th grader, explained how she thought the new school policy was necessary but also noted her annoyance with the fulfillment of this safety standard.

“Honestly, I understand why they’re doing it, for safety and all that, but I think they should find a better way to execute it before they actually start doing it,” Flashberg said. “Instead of winging it and learning as they go, they should just have thought of it beforehand.”

The fluctuation in the amount of students coming into the building in the morning is also a student concern. When large numbers of students enter the building at one time, for example, when buses are dropped off, staff members checking IDs tend to become overwhelmed, and a line of students waiting to enter the building will appear. Another sophomore, who wanted to remain anonymous shared his morning experience as a bus rider.

“I take the bus every morning, and oftentimes it’s a bit of a hassle to have to take my ID out or pull up StudentVue,” Anonymous said. “I’ve noticed… a lot of people are showing up late, because sometimes, buses show up [late], large crowds of people end up showing up suddenly, and it kind of overwhelms the two people they have at the door checking people’s IDs.”

Although frustrating, morning ID checks are not usually a source of outrage for students with regular  class times. However, many students with AM classes have become upset with the regulation of this policy for early classes. 

Flashberg, a student taking AM English 10 Intensified this year, relayed information about her recent morning experience with this policy.

“[I went] to door one, and then a group of like seven people were just waiting at the door, and this lady on the intercom was like, ‘show me your IDs,’ and I [thought] ‘okay, this is going to take a while’,” Flashberg said. “This one girl, she didn’t have an AM class, she just got dropped off early, and I kind of felt bad for her because it was cold and 7:30 in the morning, so she just waited [outside].”

Although the school ID policy may seem to be at its worst in the mornings, being an issue that only AM students experience, there is  a universal worry about the policy and how it affects attendance. Students have noticed an uprise in morning class tardies since the policy was implemented. When asked how he would improve the new policy, Anonymous explained how he would speed up the process.

“I would probably just have more people at the door checking (IDs),”Anonymous said. “When I’m trying to go through, I think door five is the bus door. There’s like two people there… and I think that if they had more people at the doors actually checking people’s IDs, it could go by a lot faster.”

Overall, most students agree that the intentions of the new school ID policy are good but that the execution of this policy could be more  effective. Although many students and staff members care deeply about school safety, many improvements are needed before the new policy will be both efficient and effective. As McDonnell said, “It could be effective, but some changes need to be made.”