At the start of the week of Dec 5 2022, District 214 sent out multiple announcements in regards to students now having to scan their school ids when entering the building. This was an improvement in an effort to better identify visitors as they enter the building and have more awareness of student mobility.

BG hopped on the train, enforcing this new protocol of having students show their ids while entering the building in the morning and when leaving and reentering the building for lunch. 

Division Head of Student Success, Safety, and Wellness, Danielle Ossman stressed the importance of these new adjustments. 

“We want to know who is in our building, so this way,” Ossman said.  “It’s a safety checkpoint so people cannot get into the building without a valid identification and a valid reason to be here.”

Entering the building in the morning can have their concerns. Whether a student does not have their ID for a variety of reasons; since students are constantly flooding in, there can be questions asked in regards to why this new adjustment is taking place. 

According to freshman Eva Chernovol, it can be a little bit inconvenient since freshmen may still be getting used to the building.

“I‘m new to BG and there are a lot of entrances,” Chernovol said.  “I understand why this is taking place and I’m surprised with how willing my grade is to receive this news.”

Security Guard Mike Garfola echoed how well students have done complying with these new procedures.

 “I’ve been pleasantly surprised how many students have come prepared with their ID’s out,” Garfola said. “Obviously some people forget and we just have to ask and remind them.”

According to Ossman, not only do these new procedures assist in knowing where students are on a regular daily basis, they can also be extremely helpful in the case of an emergency. 

“If there is ever an emergency and we have to evacuate the building, we can run a report to ensure that everyone who scanned their ID is present outside of the building,” Ossman said. 

Additionally, students have noticed the doors from CTE and English to the library are now locked after each passing period.This is to ensure students entering the library after the bell use the main library entrance doors with a pass to show they are meant to be in the library and not in a class.

“We worked with the librarians to ensure that the library remains a place where students can come to study and enjoy some quiet time during study halls,” Division Head of Student Success, Safety, and Wellness Matt Wrobel said.  “The idea is to have students be in school, in class and engaged.”

Students may have also noticed an increased presence of staff in the hallway and even “tardy sweeps” resulting in students receiving lunch detentions if they are not in class on time.

“We have already seen a big improvement in our atmosphere and with students attending their classes,” Wrobel said. “We hope to continually make improvements to better serve our students.”