DeSoto Independent School District on Monday implemented its policy disallowing students in grades six and higher from carrying backpacks, in a bid to maintain a safe and productive learning environment.
DeSoto ISD explained in a tweet on April 14 that the ban would run for the remainder of the school year.
Students are allowed to have a small clutch or pencil bag if they wish to carry any personal hygiene products. Security staff will be monitoring the students to ensure the ban is followed, performing regular rounds and viewing video surveillance footage.
The traffic of students in the hallways and at pick-up will also be reduced at DeSoto ISD, per the tweet.
DeSoto ISD officials have asked parents to pick up their children as soon as possible at the end of each day to assist in this.
These measures are “being taken out of an abundance of caution,” per the tweet.
Some parents indicated that they didn’t understand the ban and were annoyed by it in their comments on Facebook.
“Please advise as to how kids in athletics should carry their change of clothes and equipment,” asked one parent.
“What is really going on in Desoto with 6 weeks of school left and much testing and we come up and make this decision to put more on the children,” commented another parent.
Dr. Marsha Roberson, a school board trustee, responded, “It does seem like an inconvenience but statistically, crimes on school campuses are the worse [sic.] on the last 1/3 of the school year. So to me prohibiting backpacks is the easiest way to help reduce the opportunity to bring danger to campuses.”
The backpack ban comes on the heels of the school board’s decision to require school uniforms next term.
“Uniforms will apply to all grades. The decision to transition to uniforms has been communicated throughout the year in various spaces and was affirmed during Monday’s presentation [on April 3] to the board,” read an email from Tiffanie Blackmon-Jones, DeSoto ISD’s chief communications officer, per Focus Daily News.
The district has set up a survey to collect feedback from parents on how the uniforms should be stylized, yet comments on Facebook suggest that not all parents are on board.
Still, research suggests that requiring school uniforms does lead to improved safety and student behavior, per Helpful Professor.
The school shooting in Nashville in late March has revived the debate surrounding security measures at schools across the nation.
As The Dallas Express reported, this debate usually centers around whether security staff at schools should be armed.
For his part, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton suggested allowing teachers to carry firearms following the Uvalde tragedy.
