Students Face Stricter Rules on First Day at Albany High

Students walked into a stricter environment this year at Albany High School on their first day of classes Wednesday.

District administrators installed a new code of conduct to cut down on fights at the school. Two big changes in that code include stricter dress codes and mandatory photo IDs.

"I think it's better 'cause that'll tell people who's in the school and who's not," said Queniah Maye, a student at Albany High.

"With the history of Albany High, it kind of makes you feel a little bit better that they're taking some measure to keep on going with it to make sure students are safe," agreed Ashley Williams, another Albany High student.

Students now must wear picture IDs at all times in the building.

Hoodies have been banned and students are also prohibited from wearing clothing commemorating friends who have been killed.

"It may be a little nerve-wracking and time-consuming, but they've gotta do what they've gotta do to make sure everyone is safe," said Albany High School principal Maxine Ford.

Ford is attempting to rid the school environment of anything that may spark friction among students in different cliques.

"We will not tolerate students coming in here thinking that they're going to take over the high school," asserted Ford. "This is a high school and we are about education."

And students seem to understand this rationale behind the new rules: "[The code of conduct] doesn't bother me," said Williams. "As long as that board is sitting in the front of the classroom, that's what I need to be paying attention to."

Ford said teachers and students will try to take back their school from the fights and conflicts that have marred the institution for years -- including a major fight fresh in the community's memory in which one student was arrested on the last day of school last year.

Ford also addressed the ongoing rivalry between the uptown and downtown neighborhoods in Albany: "We are aware of what's going on and we will ensure that it does not spill over into the school, and students and parents in the community need to know it will not be tolerated."

A peaceful first day at the school may reflect the new rules' effectiveness. There were no long lines of students waiting to get into the school and through metal detectors. Mayor Jennings, superintendent Eva Joseph and large teams of police officers were noticeably absent -- a perceptible change from first-day-of-school scenes of years past.

(Rene Marsh, CBS 6 Albany)