Hudson Valley School Now Requiring Students to Wear ID Badges

All students in one Ulster County school district are now required to wear their photo ID badges while on school grounds.

A new week of school was welcomed with change at the Saugerties Junior and Senior High Schools as all students are now being required to wear their school-issued photo ID badges anytime they are on school grounds according to the Daily Freeman.

Saugerties Students Required to Wear ID

Starting Monday, January 29th, all students at the Saugerties Junior and Senior High Schools will be required to wear their badges on a lanyard around their necks at all times on school grounds. The only exceptions will be when students have physical education classes or any other class that might cause the lanyard to be a safety issue according to a letter the school sent to parents on Friday.

The letter said that any student who doesn't wear their badge starting Monday could face disciplinary actions for each offense. The letter didn't say what actions would be taken if students don't follow the new regulation but did explain the new regulation saying "crucial step in maintaining the safety and security of every individual in our school community." Saugerties schools aren't the only school district in the area making a few changes to school policy this month as nearby Kingston schools announced a change starting Monday at all schools in the district.

Kingston Schools New Visitor Policy

The Kingston Central School District (KCSD) has announced that they have introduced a new visitor check-in system across all KCSD buildings starting on January 29th. The new system, "Raptor Visitor Management System" will require any visitor at all schools to present identification (such as a driver’s license, state-issued ID, or passport), which will be scanned into the Raptor system. The system will then check the visitor's name and date of birth against a national database of registered sex offenders and upon approval the visitor will be issued a badge with the visitor's information and the reason they are in the school.

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The new system will only be used during school hours, not for after-school activities according to the school district's website.