Wyoming Valley West to require school ID badges for middle and high school students starting Jan. 21

The Wyoming Valley West School District announced it will begin issuing school ID badges and lanyards to students in grades 6 through 12 next Tuesday, Jan. 21, as part of a new safety initiative, district officials said.

The program, described at the Jan. 15 regular board meeting, requires students to wear the ID badges while in school and on district transportation; the badges will also be used to scan for breakfast and lunch. "The district will be starting a new safety initiative beginning next Tuesday ... school issued ID badges and lanyards will be distributed to students and they must wear them to school and on district transportation," Board member Mr. Tosh said at the meeting.

Safety Director Mr. Dicton provided implementation details and a timeline. He said the district had to resolve issues such as obtaining student photos, printing equipment and cafeteria scanners before a full rollout, and that on-site printers at the middle and high schools will allow immediate replacement for lost badges. "So we're now ready to move forward," Mr. Dicton said.

Under the system, students who currently enter meal information with a six-digit code will instead scan their badge at cafeteria readers. Mr. Dicton said the process will be touchless and that all students in the district currently receive breakfast and lunch at no cost. He also said the IDs will help staff identify new students and determine whether an individual belongs in a building: "If we have students who are coming new to the district, they walk into the building, they don't have an ID, we're gonna be able to now know, hey — you belong here," Dicton said.

District staff said kindergarten through fifth-grade students already use tags on school-issued backpacks, and those tags will remain the method of identification in elementary buildings. Officials said the badges will be worn throughout the school day and may later be used for after-school events or other access functions.

The district plans to post frequently asked questions on its website and to share rollout notices via Facebook and Remind. Building staff and cafeteria vendor representatives who assisted with the rollout were acknowledged at the meeting; Mr. Dicton credited building teams and Aramark staff for their work.

Board members who spoke at the meeting expressed support for the initiative, and one board member thanked district staff for the work required to implement the project. There was no formal board vote recorded on the badge rollout during the Jan. 15 meeting.

The district scheduled the ID rollout for middle and high school homerooms the week of Jan. 21; details about whether replacement fees will apply or how long badges remain active were not specified at the meeting.