Since the introduction of student IDs for the 2025 school year at State College Area High School, students have been struggling to adjust to the change. Many students have already misplaced or damaged their IDs within the first few months of the school year, while some don’t wear their ID at all.

With 2,347 students (as of 2023-2024) in such a large building, the IDs aim to keep track of each student while creating as safe of an environment as possible. With threats of a school shooting made last year, the new ID policy is an important safety measure to ensure students are well-accounted for. The addition of the ID policy helps to ensure that students are authorized to be on school grounds, and the break away feature allows for additional flexibility and efficiency regarding identification. Although this may be true, some students still refuse to wear their IDs, or continually lose them– sometimes weekly.

Rachelle Coffey, one of State High’s attendance secretaries, has kept record of how many students have lost their IDs already this school year. “1,992 since we started school, we’re in our fifth week. So, about 500 a week,” Coffey said.

Loretta Maguire, another of State High’s attendance secretaries, feels that students’ ability to keep track of their IDs has gotten more difficult to manage. “Some days we talk about it and we think it’s actually getting worse instead of better,” Maguire said.

While the IDs are useful for managing students and bringing a sense of security to the school environment, the IDs are detachable and break away easily.

One student, Alexandra Taylor, has encountered issues with the fragility of her ID. “They’re actually so easy to lose. The lanyard thing breaks and you don’t even notice that it falls,” Taylor said.

Regardless of the difficulties surrounding the new IDs, there are ways students can keep track of them.Loretta Maguire advises students to keep their ID with them at all times. “Definitely always keep it in your bookbag or keep it with something that you bring to school every day,” Maguire said.

Coffey added that students can attach it to something so that it won’t fall off. “You can even tie it to your bookbag,” Coffey said.

While IDs may not feel like a priority to some students, it is important that students keep track of them, and keep them on their person at all times. In order to prevent State High students from losing their student ID, they can make sure to keep it with other items such as keychains, wallets or in a pocket of their bookbag. It is essential for students to keep their ID where others can see it, and they may even be able to tie it to their belongings if they are concerned about their ID falling off.