Officials with the Greenville School District now require students in grades 9-12 to wear identification badges.

Superintendent Harvey Franklin tells the Delta Democrat Times that requirement will be extended to the lower grades over the next months.

District employees also are required to wear ID badges.

The student badges are color-coded with each grade having a different color— for example, gold for ninth graders and blue for juniors.

“The badges serve as identification, but security as well,” said Franklin. “These badges are a part of our safety issue, and one of our district’s non-negotiables. This is mandatory for the staff and students.”

Franklin said students must have the badges to ride the school bus, eat lunch, enter school and school related events.

“Students who do not have an ID badge must have a parent-escort to enter the school building,” said Franklin. “We will not allow students to enter school without their ID badge, if they lost or misplaced their badge we can provide them with a temporary badge for that day.”

Franklin said a new replacement badge will cost $5.

Franklin said the badges will keep anyone who does not belong on the school grounds out and make the learning environment safer.

Parent Teacher Association President Tinsa Hall at Greenville-Weston High School said she is concerned some students will not return to school if they forget the badge and are turned away.

“These kids already are wearing uniforms and have been for nearly 10 years now, the uniforms back then was supposed to eliminate school badges. Now having these ID badges are pushing students to the streets, by not allowing kids to enter school without the badges forces them to walk the streets, be in the neighborhoods and possibly get into trouble.

“You don’t need to discourage kids from trying to go to school,” said Hall.