Students frustrated with trial, error of ID policy
New policy requires students to scan into school and wear IDs throughout the day
The Board will vote Tuesday on whether to make mask-wearing optional. If it passes, New Trier will be mask-optional starting Wednesday
As a new security precaution, students are required to scan their ID in order to gain access to the school in the morning when entering the building.
Teachers are doing a good job of checking IDs, but a lot of people have been late to my advisery because of the long lines for ID checking.
— Caroline Bachman
This new rule was influenced by the ID wearing policy last year, which was created for COVID safety during hybrid learning, according to Athena Arvanitis, Assistant Principal of Student Programs and Operations.
Referring to changes made last year, Arvanitis said, “It’s always been a school rule that students have their student ID on them when in the building. We went from [having] your ID with you to having your ID easily accessible so that you can scan in and out of school, pay for lunch, and check into spaces throughout your school days.”
After using IDs last year, the school made the decision to require students to wear IDs this year, according to Arvanitis.
To maintain security, the school has plans to increase the number of students who have their ID in the morning. Some students, such as Victoria Romic, said this will be beneficial for making sure that only New Trier students are in the school building.
“I think that the decision to wear the IDs was a good decision for security,” said Romic.
Some students, such as Junior Tyler Van Gorp, had questioned the efficiency of ID wearing.
“Before school, when teachers are checking IDs, it takes a while for students to get in,” said Van Gorp. Junior Caroline Bachman agreed with Van Gorp, saying that having staff monitor IDs causes long lines outside of the building which result in students being late to class.
“Teachers are doing a good job of checking IDs,” but, “a lot of people have been late to my advisery because of the long lines for ID checking.”
Romic added onto this, saying “I think that it is very inconvenient to have to scan all of our IDs going into the school.”
Security is still in the trial stage of the scanning system with the IDs, so at the beginning of the year, the only scanner was at the Winnetka Avenue entrance according to Arvanitis. Students will be required to scan in at one of the 3 entrances to the school starting Nov. 16 according to an article sent to New Trier parents.
In response to students complaining about long lines, Arvanitis said “The implementation of the scan system which is being piloted at the south entrance of the Winnetka Campus is not making students late to school. Students who approach the building at or after 8:20 are already late to school.”
Most mornings, however, even before school, there is an unorganized mass of people waiting outside the door as a result of the scanning process.
To address the early morning chaos, the school sent an email to parents recommending that students arrive at school no later than 8:15 am, and the check-in lines will be monitored, ensuring that students enter within a reasonable time.
