The requirement of backpacks is part of a larger safety effort made in response to school shootings across Texas.
According to a statement on the DISD website, the decision stems from safety recommendations made by the district’s Safety Task Force and Internal Task Force as well as feedback from students, parents and the community. The use of clear or mesh backpacks is one of several steps in the district’s comprehensive plan to better ensure student and staff safety, according to district officials.
By being able to easily see the items in the backpacks as students enter the school, officials said campus personnel will be able to ensure that prohibited items are not included among the students’ belongings.
Campus personnel may still require students to open and inspect individual backpacks.
Students will be allowed to carry a non-clear pouch no larger than 5.5 inches by 8.5 inches in their backpack. This pouch is supposed to be used to hold personal items, such as cellphones, money and hygiene products, the district's website stated.
According to the announcement, the district has purchased and will distribute for free clear backpacks to secondary students before the start of the school year. The district has yet to report how much it will cost to provide backpacks to the nearly 70,000 students reported to be enrolled in secondary education across DISD.
All nonclear or nonmesh backpacks brought to schools will not be allowed and will be collected and kept in the respective school's main office, according to the release. District officials said parents can find extra clear and mesh backpacks at a variety of local retailers, including Target, Walmart, Amazon and Office Depot.
