April 24th, all Lawrence High Students received an ID badge. The badges allows students to enter the school through exterior doors, as they are now locked from the inside.

These changes come after safety issues were raised due to the amount of unlocked doors at Lawrence High. There are currently 29 entrances to the school that were unlocked, meaning anyone could enter through them. However, this new system makes all those doors unaccessible to anyone without an ID badge.

Students have strong opinions on the usefulness of the badges.

Sophomore Addison Agnew is frequently locked out of the building due to the new system.

“The main problem I have faced with the ID badges is that they don’t work on the only doors I need to access- the main gym door, orchestra doors, and annex doors,” she said. “They work on the side doors but the only time I pass through there is during passing period and you can always catch an open one.”

Agnew thinks the ID badges could be improved.

“The idea of the badges is a good one but the reality is wasteful,” she said. “They should work on all doors.”

The ID badges do not improve Agnew’s sense of safety.

“I don’t feel safer with these badges because the main threat is school shootings, and oftentimes the shooters are students,” she said.

Sophomore Ellie Bates feels the same way.

“I think the district had the right idea but a poor execution of it,” she said. “I understand wanting to maximize security at LHS with our somewhat open campus, but all it has done is increase student traffic in the halls and not allow kids to get in to the building.”

Bates does not like using her badge.

“I am not enjoying my badge because it’s the last weeks of school and it is unnecessary,” she said.

Bates doesn’t feel safer either.

“No one is really enforcing the badge rules anyway,” she said.

However, Senior Maria Godinez feels a little safer.

“I think they do make the school more secure,” she said. “However, they were implemented so late that in my opinion it was a waste of resources. The district should have waited until next year. I also think that they do not help in regards with school shooters, since most school shooters are students and would have badges to get in the building.”

Godinez enjoys some aspects of the badges, but others are displeasing to her.

“My favorite thing is that they work with the printers but we got them so late that I was not able to utilize this,” she said. “My least favorite thing is they do not work with all of the doors.”

Although there are some serious issues, both Agnew and Bates like the design.

“I like the design compared to our regular student ID’s,” said Bates.

Agnew agrees.

“My favorite thing is how epic the design is,” she said.