Cookeville High School Attempts to Create Safe Environment with Student IDs

Cookeville High School students must wear their student IDs on a lanyard in an attempt to maintain safety on campus.

Executive Principal Clif Matlock said Cookeville High used to wear their IDs years ago.

“One of the things that kept coming up in some of the recommendations was that students wear IDs. It is something that we have thought about for a couple of years here at CHS even prior to me taking over executive principal,” Matlock said. “It is just one that we revisited. And we think for safety, it is just one of those things we feel like is best for our building at this time.”

Not only can faculty differentiate between students and nonstudents, the IDs provide information in an event of an emergency, Matlock said.

“With 23oo students, not every faculty and staff member knows them if is there is a medical emergency. If the student has on their ID, we are able to see their name if they are not able to respond,” Matlock said. “We are able to get that information to the school nurse. And she can advise if there are any medical conditions and forewarn there is a medical condition if she knows that student.”

At a glance, the ID lists the grade, name and identifies the student as a part of Cookeville High School.

As for drawbacks, Matlock said some students don’t understand the importance of the IDs.

“Part of our mantra is ‘College and Career Ready’ for the students. And most careers and most jobs require you to wear some sort of identification, whether it be the hospital or any number of the factories and such around here,” Matlock said. “So it is just one of those things that is getting used to something they are going to have to be doing in their career. A lot of students just don’t realize that but now that we have explained that, they are like ‘Hey that makes sense.'”

If a student fails to wear their ID, faculty will issue a warning. If the problem consists, the student must go before administration.

Matlock said most students and faculty remain on board with the change.