At the beginning of the 2016-2017 school year, Cypress Ranch High School, along with a few other schools in the Cypress Fairbanks Independent School District (CFISD), began implementing a new rule for students to follow. In order to buy school provided meals and travel using the school bus, students will be asked to show their new student identification cards (ID).

Once the announcement was heard clearly by every student, rumors began to spread throughout the halls about the true purpose of the cards. Some students argued that the ID cards had a microchip implanted in them which allowed the district to see every student’s location at all times. Others believed that the high school was simply trying to prepare students for college due to the fact that most universities require their students to use ID cards while on campus. However, after speaking with assistant principal, Dale Cowser, there has been a direct answer for many questioning students.

The main purpose of these identification cards that do, in fact, have a sensor inside of them, are only to increase safety within the community.

“The whole premise started with bus transportation,” Cowser said. “There are two numbers on every ID that are important. The number on the front is simply your student ID number. But the number on the back is a computer chip number and there is actually a ring that is embedded in these [cards], so when students get on the bus, they scan it and that registers to show that you are on the bus.”

As students get older, many high school students begin to find their own source of transportation, whether that be driving in their own vehicles, carpooling or biking to school, so riding the bus does not always apply to older students. However, elementary schools in CFISD have issued IDs to their students for quite some time now and the benefits, especially for those of the younger age, are incredibly helpful.

“Once a student gets off the bus, [the ID] registers that as an event and the parents of the student can receive a text showing that their child has gotten off and on the bus so that they know [their child] is safe,” Cowser said.

While these cards are able to ensure safety for students who ride the bus to and from school, the new ID cards also have multiple other uses.

“Now,  rather than typing in a six digit number to buy your food, all you do is scan your ID, which can stop people from stealing your [lunch] number,” Cowser said. “Also with tardy sweep, this can stream line the process because now, rather than having to type in your number into the computer, we can simply scan your ID. It is a much quicker process.”

The ID cards are not only useful for transportation, purchasing lunch, and checking into school, but students can also rent books from the library with this new form of technology. Eventually, the school even hopes to advance the benefits of using the IDs to allow students to purchase tickets for school related events such as the homecoming dance.

“This is all 100% about safety,” Cowser said. “Our expectation is that students keep their IDs on them at all times.”

For now, the district is simply providing parents and students with an advancement in technology that can hopefully increase safety and efficiency inside and outside of the classroom.

“We just hope to change the mindset of some of our students because it is important that you have [the ID card] on you at all times,” Cowser said.

For any students who need to retake their student ID pictures, badge pictures will be available to be retaken on Thurs., September, 15.