Board OKs identification badges

Columbia County schools' students, staff are required to wear photo ID for safety reasons

Web posted September 11, 1999

By Peggy Ussery
Columbia County Bureau

In a matter of weeks, Columbia County middle and high school students should have something to add to their school wardrobe -- photo identification badges.

School Superintendent Tommy Price said schools have been given the go-ahead on ID badges, with each school responsible for securing the badges for students and staff. The idea came from recommendations made by the school system's safety committee.

Originally, the badges were to be systemwide, but the central office has decided to wait until next year before introducing a systemwide badge that could be used in libraries, cafeterias and as student identification.

``We thought we'd take another year,'' Mr. Price said.

But for the 1999-2000 school year, middle and high schools have been allowed to work with school photographers to produce badges for students to wear. Photographs were taken the first week of school, and administrators said the badges should arrive by October.

``We think it's important to go ahead and do it,'' Lakeside High School Principal Julius McAnally said. ``It just helps you know they belong at your school.''

Schools have ordered extra badges for visitors and for those days when someone forgets to wear a badge. And some schools have outlined punishment for repeated failures to wear badges.

Harlem High School Principal Barry Hemphill said students at his school would be warned first then given detention and suspension as warranted.

Columbia County school board members will consider other safety recommendations during their regular meeting Tuesday. The board meets at 6 p.m. at the Evans Government Complex.

Board members have given tentative approval to a student safety policy that requires all school entrances to remain locked, restricting traffic to main entrances. It also states -- but does not mandate -- that volunteers should be stationed at front entrances to greet visitors.

Under the policy, random checks with hand-held metal detectors would be conducted weekly in all middle and high schools -- four classrooms twice a week at high schools and two classrooms twice a week at middle schools.

Harlem High School -- the only high school with enough hand-held detectors to conduct the random checks -- has done searches during the past two weeks. Other schools will begin when more equipment is purchased.

At least 20 additional hand-held metal detectors will be needed, at a cost of about $3,200.

Peggy Ussery can be reached at (706) 868-1222, Ext. 112, or ussery@augustachronicle.com.