Vermilion Parish School IDs will be free to students

The Vermilion Parish School System is now requiring all students to wear an identification name tag (ID) at all times during school hours. Last week, the school board voted to implement this ID requirement for students from pre-K through 12th grade.
Before the vote, the school system only required students in middle school and high school to have a school ID. Elementary schools had the option of wearing them or not wearing them. Only three out of the 10 elementary schools (Meaux Elementary, Cecil Picard Elementary, and LeBlanc Elementary)  required their students to wear IDs.
Assistant School Superintendent Kim Etie informed the school board about the importance of wearing IDs for every student.
“We are asking that the IDs be mandatory for students for several reasons,” said Eite. “For safety purposes.”
By voting to require student IDs, the school board must now cover the cost of printing 8,300 ID cards.
In the past, the school system charged parents an average of $6 for a new ID.  Now, the ID and the clip will be free, but if a student loses their ID and needs another one, Etie said the school district will charge the student for a replacement ID and clip.
The school board approved the purchase of a machine to print the IDs, along with the necessary ink and paper. The total cost to enter the ID-making business will be $30,000.
The school system will provide ID cards at no cost; however, parents of high school and middle school students must purchase lanyards for their students. Elementary students will not wear lanyards; instead, their ID cards will be attached to their clothing with a clip.
At the end of the day, an elementary student attaches their ID to the classroom board. They do not take their ID home. When they arrive at school the next day, they put their ID back on.”It serves as an additional safety measure for taking attendance,” explained Superintendent Tommy Byler. “I can check the board where the IDs are clipped and verify before calling the roll that these two students are not in my classroom, as their IDs remain clipped to the board.”
Some parents may have already purchased their child’s ID for the upcoming school year. Some schools are offering refunds while other schools are applying their ID fee to another school fee.