Secure Report Cards Make the Grade Not all counterfeiters are seasoned professionals trying to pass off fraudulent checks. Some are 14-year-old students trying to trick their parents into believing they got better grades. It's these novice offenders that Joe Freimark wanted to deter when he supplied report cards with security features to a middle school. "The school was having problems with students scratching off bad grades and changing them, and it approached me about finding a better solution," says Freimark, a sales representative with Data Management Corp., a distributorship in Butler, Wis. When the middle school converted from continuous to laser printers, it began using a stock 1-color, 20# report card. The school printed grades on the preprinted report cards using the new laser printer, inserted the cards in envelopes and mailed them to students. There were no security features on the report cards. Freimark was referred by the school's software provider to supply more secure report cards as well as laser check stock. He supplied the school with report cards printed on Boise's CheckProtect™ paper. The stock Freimark selected features an artificial watermark, fluorescent fibers and a microprinted signature line for the school principal's signature. In addition, he added a void pantograph and the school's eagle logo in the background for further protection. "We didn't go with a lot of security features," says Freimark. "We went middle-of-the-road." For example, the distributor could have created a more secure document by adding chromatic ink. But there are several reasons why he opted against the security ink: It would have raised the cost significantly and required product education for parents who examine the report cards. "The majority of parents aren't going to think about special inks," says Freimark. Finally, the special ink isn't necessary for the type of fraud experienced by the school. "We're just trying to stop kids from doctoring grades, not putting the report cards on color copiers and duplicating them," says Freimark. Freimark says he's received "very positive feedback" from the school. Then he hedges, "We solved the doctoring problem until some smart kid figures out another way to mess with the report card."