The blinding fluorescent lights jolt you awake as you mount the seemingly endless ascent of the staircase in the Loy Norrix tower. When you reach into your bag for the smooth plastic of your I.D., your stomach drops as you realize you forgot it in your bedroom. 

This is an all too familiar reality for the estimated 25-40 students who must have a new I.D. printed for them every morning in order to enter the building.

According to data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), from 2009 to 2019, the average percentage of public high schools in America that require students to have picture I.D badges increased  by 3% and the percentage of schools that require I.D. badges for staff and security has increased by 14%. Generally, there has been a drastic rise in additional safety measures in schools.

School-issued I.D. cards have an important role in day-to-day student life. They are used to record tardy students, check out books in the library and buy snacks in the cafeteria. 

In addition to tracking useful student data, I.D.s are used as an additional security measure to confirm that only Norrix students are entering the building.

“It’s really a safety thing so K.C. students don’t come over here and try to fight somebody,” said former Campus Safety Officer Kyle Robertson.

Requiring student I.D. badges has been the standard procedure at all KPS high schools. In order to enter the building each morning, students must present the picture I.D. that was issued to them during summer registration. Students who don’t have their I.D. in the morning must have a new one printed for a charge of five dollars. This fee is not expected to be paid on the spot, but it must be paid off prior to graduation. 

Currently serving as the behavioral secretary, Robertson operates in the narrow hallway of the guidance office every morning to print off replacement I.D.s.

 “It can get overwhelming, too, with how many kids forget their I.D.s at home. It’s the same kids I see every day too, and that can get frustrating,” Robertson said.

As campus security escorts a new batch of students needing I.D.s, the already small space becomes cramped. Most of the students know the procedure and simply state their 6-digit I.D. number when they reach Robertson’s computer. 

“I do keep your I.D. number on file to see how much you owe. We usually send out letters and emails home to let them know how much you owe the school,” Robertson said.

However, students who have gotten multiple I.D.s reprinted without paying the five dollar charge upfront have stated they were not contacted about the accumulating bill. 

“No one’s really told me that I’m not gonna graduate or asked me to pay, so I’m not worried about it,” said senior Ahlycea Leake, who has had three new I.D.s printed this school year. 

Two freshmen in Robertson’s line shared that they were on their 3rd and 7th I.D.s of the year. Within the first two months of school, these two students have acquired $15 and $35 fees, respectively.

Assistant Principal Alexander Hill empathizes with students who are racking up large debts for repeated forgotten I.D.s. and mentioned strategies administration has used to mitigate this expense. 

“We hate to charge kids, but at some point, it’s a responsibility that they have to start engaging in,” Hill said. “At the beginning of the year, during open houses and enrollment, we’ll sell three of them [I.D.s] for $10 just to get kids to have more.” 

Hill continued to express the administration’s concern for the topic.

 “We talk about this often, and we bounce around ideas from time-to-time. Obviously, nothing has worked because we’re still having the issues so we’re still just trying to get creative,” Hill said.

Students can expect to continue to receive new I.D.s every morning under the assumption that the five dollar charge will be added to their account.