May 4, 2023
By banning backpacks altogether and adding an increased security presence across the district, we can better control what is being brought into our buildings.
Superintendent of Flint Community Schools, Kevelin Jones, in a letter stating that backpacks will not be allowed for the rest of the school year.
What To Know: Flint Community Schools, a public school district in Flint, Michigan with 11 campuses, has banned backpacks through the end of the school year. The decision was made because of "an increase in threatening behavior and contraband, including weapons, being brought into schools at all levels," according to the Superintendent's letter. Students can bring their belongings in clear plastic bags or small purses, and will also still be allowed to bring lunch boxes. These bags "will still be subject to search," Jones wrote.
Why It Matters: The Michigan school district is not the first to ban backpacks. School districts in Texas, for example, have announced similar policies over the past year. DeSoto Independent School District, located near Dallas, Texas, banned backpacks in April for all middle school and high school students. Dallas ISD has required all middle school students to use mesh or clear backpacks for the 2022-2023 school year.
Michigan school district bans backpacks: "We will not take any chances" (CBS News)
by Jenna Lee,
