Local businesses are giving Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) students incentives to wear their identification badges in school and keep track of the badges out of school by providing discounts for services and products.
CCPS began issuing student identification badges during the 2018-19 school year as part of a safety and security pilot program intended to enhance school security. The program started with three schools and extended this school year to all high schools and five middle and elementary schools. Next school year, CCPS will require students at all schools to wear ID badges.
Student ID badges, said Jason Stoddard, director of school safety and security, keep students and staff safer while they are at school. ID badges help students and staff tell at a glance who does or does not belong in the school. All CCPS staff members already wear employee identification badges. “In case of an emergency, it is imperative we be able to identify both students and staff in a timely manner,” Stoddard said.
Schools provide a number of benefits to students for wearing their badges, including checking out library books and paying for school meals.
Stoddard said results from the three pilot schools were positive, and showed that tying ID badges to products or services motivated students to wear them. “Extending the use of student ID badges to include benefits both inside and outside of school is the next step as we prepare to require the mandatory use of student identification badges to all CCPS schools in 2020-21,” Stoddard said.
The following businesses have agreed to provide incentives for CCPS students who show their badges.
- AMC St. Charles Town Center 9 – Special student ticket discounts prior to 4 p.m.
- AMF Waldorf Lanes – Buy one game get one game free
- Blue Crabs – $10 tickets for students 13 and over; $8 tickets for students 12 and younger
- Buffalo Wild Wings – 10 percent off student entrée
- Burger King (All locations) – Free regular drink with purchase of a sandwich at locations in Charles and St. Mary’s counties
- Chick-fil-A (All locations) – “Show Me Your Badge Fry-Day.” The promotion will run every Friday in February and March. When a student shows their badge at one of the three Charles County locations, La Plata, St Charles Towne Center Mall or Waldorf, between the hours of 6:00 a.m., and 8:00 a.m., they will receive a free order of hash browns with any purchase. Between the hours of 2:00 p.m., to 5:00 p.m. they will receive a free order of small Waffle Potato Fries with any purchase
- Dunkin Donuts (all locations) – 10 percent off student orders
- Foster’s Grille (all locations) – 10 percent off student entrées
- The Greene Turtle – 10 percent off student meals (Dine-in only. Offer cannot be combined with any other offer, discounts or Greene Turtle Rewards and does not include beverages)
- Hancock Family Farms – 5 percent off total bill
- Island Music – 10 percent off all accessories
- Jersey Mike’s – Student discount on menu items
- Rita’s of La Plata – Half-price large Italian Ice for the full month of March (any day of the week)
- Sky Zone – Monday through Thursday pay for 60 minutes get 90 minutes. Also offering special nights for schools with Glow Night opportunities.
- Sonic (all locations) – 10 percent off with student ID
- Vocelli Pizza (all locations) – 10 percent off student order
- Wendy’s (La Plata only) – 10 percent off entrée
- Wireless Junkies – $10 off any repair and 10 percent off accessories
- World Gym (all locations) – One month for $45 – normally $59; three months for $119 – normally $159. Teen Sports Camps for ages 15-18, offered once a week, $99 a month and drop-in rates available.
Information about businesses and discounts are listed on the CCPS website at www.ccboe.com/index.php/student-id-badge-incentives.
