On Thursday, Mar. 23, the Cherry Creek School District sent an email to the community in response to the Denver East shooting. Among other details on how CCSD students are kept safe, they listed this crucial bullet point as a cautionary measure being taken to ensure our safety:

• “At the high school level, all students are required to wear ID badges and visitors to the campus must check in with security.”

However, this statement does not apply to all CCSD high schools. Students at Smoky are not required to wear their student IDs. Signs that used to require IDs are not posted this year. 

“It has been something that the expectation is that students do have their ID and that it’s present and able to be produced at all times,” Assistant Principal and Head of Security Bruce Jones said.

Rather than enforcement, student IDs have been encouraged and expected for students to wear.

“And so this year in a different role. I haven’t done that. But we do have, you know, teachers administrators staff out in the hallway as teachers are passing periods,” Jones said.

Teachers out in hallways during passing periods are at most seen passing out tardies in the tardy carts or generally overlooking the students, not checking if IDs are in place and visibly showing.

Although no legitimate regulations are in place in regard to student IDs to prove identification, the administration is hoping to implement new conditions in the Smoky setting.

“I think coming back after spring break having fourth quarter, just talking as an administrative team. [Enforcing student IDs to be worn is] something that we want to enforce,” Jones said.

Cory Wise, Assistant Superintendent under Educational Operations for the Cherry Creek School District declined to comment when asked about the ID policy and the community letter.

In reality, it is ultimately unknown if regulations will actually be put into place at the present moment for students to follow.