In the past, our school’s policies only allowed students to use their lockers and not carry backpacks because of worry about dangers for other students. Backpacks could be an easy way for students to carry weapons or other dangers to students and staff. However, this year has been a bit different because of the pandemic. Lots of schools are allowing and even wanting students to carry backpacks with them instead of going to their lockers every class. This is to hopefully help enforce social distancing and prevent the spread of COVID.
Many of the juniors and seniors reported that they liked being able to carry their backpacks with them in the halls and to class. It saves a lot of time for students, especially those that have a locker that is hard to get open or all the way at the end of the hallway where they don’t go very often. “It saves me a lot of time, and it helps me to remember everything, and I never have to go to my locker,” said senior Sydney Fecht.
Being able to take their backpacks to their classes has also saved many of the students from having to go to their lockers for something that they forgot and need in class. This has resulted in fewer disruptions during classes because students are able to carry everything they need, and it has also helped make sure that students are socially distanced.
There is a downside to this because there is a risk that a student could bring a weapon or hide something like a vape or some kind of drugs in their backpack. There is always a possibility of hiding it in their locker or on them somewhere, but the backpack ban made it a lot harder for them to take it to classes with them.
“There is always a safety aspect. However, you just have to monitor the kids, but when it comes down to it, I don’t mind if kids have backpacks in my room,” said Mrs. Hutchcroft.
However, if students have to go to their locker after every class instead of being able to bring their backpacks with them, it would cause even more students to crowd around each other and could raise the chances of spreading COVID.
Overall, most of the high school students prefer to use their backpacks, but the teachers and staff prefer the students to use their lockers. However, COVID has made a lot of rules change or be bent. This is because people’s main focus right now is COVID and balancing priorities when it comes to rules.