A Dallas college district is mandating clear backpacks for its college students within the wake of Texas’s worst college bloodbath in state historical past.
Whereas the brand new directive wouldn’t have stopped the teenage gunman concerned within the Uvalde bloodbath in Could, college students throughout the nation have been identified to stash lethal weapons of their backpacks, so the transfer might assist stem future violence, proponents say.
“College students in sixth via twelfth grade might be required to make use of clear or mesh backpacks. Different luggage will now not be allowed,” mentioned the Dallas Impartial College District — the second largest college district within the Lone Star State — in an announcement Monday.
“By having the ability to simply see the objects within the backpacks as college students enter the varsity, campus personnel will have the ability to make sure that prohibited objects are usually not included among the many college students’ belongings,” the district mentioned on a Net web page created to elucidate its choice.
“Clear or mesh backpacks may also velocity up college students coming into the varsity at first of the day as a result of opening and inspecting each backpack will not be vital.”
“We acknowledge that clear or mesh backpacks alone won’t eradicate security issues. That is merely considered one of a number of steps within the district’s complete plan to higher guarantee pupil and employees security.”
The district mentioned the transfer was really helpful by its Security Activity Drive and Inside Activity Drive.
The requirement will go into impact when college students return to class in August.
The announcement comes a day after the discharge of a damning report on how practically 400 law-enforcement officers didn’t act for greater than an hour earlier than taking out the gunman within the Robb Elementary College taking pictures in Uvalde. The report by a particular Texas Home committee additionally chronicled different failures by the Uvalde college district associated to the slaughter.
Second in dimension solely to the Houston Impartial College District, the Dallas ISD is an influential district within the sprawling Dallas-Fort Value space, residence to about 7.6 million folks. The district is commonly the primary to implement college insurance policies, and different districts within the area typically comply with.
The district mentioned it plans to offer a free, clear backpack to every pupil in sixth grade and over earlier than the varsity 12 months begins.
College students might be allowed to hold one 5.5 inches by 8.5 inches non-clear pouch to carry private objects, equivalent to cellphones, cash, and hygiene merchandise.
