Montgomery Public Schools getting ID badges for all students

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - In an effort to ramp up school security, the Montgomery Public Schools Board of Education voted unanimously to implement a student ID program on Tuesday.

Every student at MPS will receive an ID badge as a way of identifying strangers trespassing on school grounds.

“We know how important security is in our schools these days,” said Toni Patterson, the MPS director of technology. “So with the students having badges on, it will be easy to walk into a building and recognize who doesn’t belong.”

The IDs will be more complex than they may initially appear, as each one will have computer chip built inside.

“So that they can actually use them with the electronic systems,” Patterson said.

The IDs will also allow students to pay for food in the lunchroom and check out books in the library.

There are also some other long-term projects that could allow students to get checked into school through their badge.

At this point, MPS does not plan to require students to scan into their school building, but Patterson said that could be a possibility in the future.

Each badge will go for about $4, but parents will not have to pay that, as MPS is covering the cost.

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