KINGSTON — Sixth through 12th grade students in the Wyoming Valley West School District will begin wearing identification badges next week as part of a safety effort by the district. The IDs will also be used to obtain school breakfast and lunch, both of which are free in the district.
Students must wear their ID badges while at school and while using school transportation. Originally anticipated to begin around Veterans Day, the badge plan is now ready to be implemented, explained district safety and security coordinator Anthony Dicton at Wednesday night’s meeting.
“There were a lot of hurdles getting the students’ pictures, getting the cards printed, getting the machines for the cafeteria to scan the IDs, and, now, getting the printers…,” Dicton said of the plan’s delayed rollout. “When we do receive new students or students lose a badge, we’re able to now print those on-site here at the middle school and the high school.”
In the process of getting breakfast or lunch, students will swipe their ID badge. Prior to the badges, students needed to punch a six-digit code into a separate cafeteria machine before getting their food.
Regarding student safety, the IDs will be used to more easily identify students who are or are not supposed to be on school grounds.
“I think [the IDs are] a great step forward for the district,” said Dicton, whose efforts in the ID implementation process were praised by the school board.
More information about the identification badges will be made available on the school district’s website under a “Frequently Asked Questions” heading.
Tabled item
Some confusion arose regarding a recommended action item at Wednesday’s meeting. Item 25 under the General Recommended Action portion of the board’s agenda stated that two Wyoming Seminary junior high baseball players wished to play for Wyoming Valley West, per a PIAA cooperative agreement.
The matter was tabled, with board members questioning whether the Wyoming Seminary students would take roster spots from Wyoming Valley West students. Some board members who voted in favor of tabling the action wished to receive additional information on the matter.
Rick Kamus was the lone member of the board in attendance on Wednesday night to vote against tabling the item.