Only About 1% of Students Displaying IDs, Teacher Says

Despite mandates being put in place for staff and students at the Bridgewater-Raritan High School to wear their IDs at all times, one teacher pointed out Tuesday that maybe only 1 percent of students are wearing them—and that has been placed squarely on the administration’s head.

History teacher, and Bridgewater-Raritan Education Association president, Steve Beatty said at Tuesday’s board of education member that on the day the directive came down,

But that number has lowered since then.

“Since then, I could see no attempt on the administration’s part to move that percentage,” he said. “And I would argue that in the two weeks since, it has gone from 10 percent of students wearing them to maybe 1 percent.”

Superintendent of Schools Michael Schilder said he will take the blame for the lack of enforcement.

“We wanted to take a gentle approach, and wanted to see if students would go with that, and maybe we were naïve with that,” he said. “The resolve is there.”

Schilder said the method for enforcement of wearing the IDs has not been announced, and there were some delays.

First of all, Schilder said, the machine making the IDs actually broke, and so the school couldn’t issue new ones to students needing them.

In addition, the lanyards did not arrive at the high school on time either.

“I think if they had come the day the directive was made, there would be a higher percentage of people wearing them,” said high school board of education representative Olivia Di Iorio.

Schilder said he believes everything is in place now.

“I believe we have everything now, and I will have a conversation with building administration,” Schilder said. “If we need to put in disciplinary measures for those who don’t wear them, we will do that.”

Beatty said the teachers would like to work with the administration in any way they can to help reinforce the requirement of wearing the IDs.

At this point, Schilder said, they will establish another date for the IDs to be required and move forward from there with the requirement and the possibility of disciplinary action.

What kind of disciplinary action do you think should be in place for those students who don't wear their IDs?