Student IDs have been required at all MCPS-sponsored events for the past couple of years, however having a visible ID is a new change. The aim of this new policy is to quickly and easily identify students. If students lose or forget their ID, a temporary sticker can be provided by security.
The first day of the second marking period marked the beginning of the new policy. Students were required to stand in line in the cafeteria while staff checked their IDs. Unfortunately, many students did not have their IDs on them and were forced to wait in a separate line for a temporary ID to be printed. For those who did remember their IDs, the line still spanned across the room, spilling outside. Many students that day came in late or missed the first period that day. Overall it was a hectic morning for many staff and students. “So chaotic,” recounts Kasey Yu, “everyone was in like the cafeteria room together and it was, they were yelling at us like I had mine out and stuff, but it was taking a really, really long time to check it. I know people had head stickers on them. Some people didn’t have their IDs, I ended up getting to class, really late.” Shaina Kakor recalls her experience on the first day saying, “I was stuck up in the line for over 30 minutes and almost missed the entirety of my first meeting in class, I think, although the idea is good, I felt that implementation wasn’t good because if it’s taking so long, that a lot of students are missing their classes which is obviously detrimental to academics. So I think there should be something else. Maybe like an ID lookup or maybe two doors so that they can mitigate the numbers of students going in.” Theo Ellestad additionally had a negative experience on the first day of student IDs. He states, “Well, it took me like almost half an hour to get to the first period because I had to run back and forth in the cafeteria. But between getting it, adding a lanyard, and getting a hole in this thing… was not a very good start to my morning.” The students were warned that IDs would be required to enter school but most students didn’t really think that the staff would enforce it, so most students didn’t bring their ID causing many students including themselves to be late. An anonymous interviewee says that their first-period class was practically empty. “So my bus gets here pretty… early. Yeah, so I didn’t have that major line to get in but then I realized that my entire first-period class was just missing, so I don’t know where they went. It could have been because of the IDs, but I wasn’t there to see the entire thing, but everybody was like, crushed up in there.” The new ID policy has caused some students issues getting to class. Haswita Bokkisam explained her thoughts on the new policy saying, “ I don’t like it. Like, I literally, I have to walk into school every single day and show my ID and it just takes out the time of me like getting to class because like, I only have a few minutes before can even like, get there. And my class is all the way to the other side of the school. So they’re like, waiting for you to take out your ID and everything before you can even go into the school…”
Later in the week most students have been bringing their ID and have been getting into the school smoothly without being late. As students get further into the quarter they should be more on top of having their IDs and there shouldn’t be any more chaotic mornings in the cafeteria waiting for students to get into the school. Kakor notes,“I think the amount of students be that are going through those doors asking for a new or temporary ID has definitely gone down because more students realize that it’s taking up more time. But also students might use this to explore it like oh I’m getting out of class with an excused absence something to speed that process up, would be helpful.” Some students still believe that the policies aren’t great but many have begun to get used to this new change. “I’ve gotten used to it but it’s still kind of annoying to like have to put it on as soon as you’re like walking in the door,” says Ellestad with Yu adding, “I don’t care as much but it’s still kind of a hassle because I always think about like, oh, what if I accidentally lose my ID, I can’t get into the school now. Now you can’t get through the doors anymore.” Hopefully, this new policy will bring about safety to the school as more students get used to the new policy.
