A student walks through a school library. | Photo by Redd on Unsplash
A student walks through a school library. | Photo by Redd on Unsplash
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) will test whether using clear bookbags will effectively stop students from carrying guns or knives on school property.
The school district recently authorized $441,000 in the budget to buy 46,000 clear backpacks to implement the change starting with a couple of schools that will be used as a testing ground, according to a report by WBTV.
“The goal really behind taking that approach is to be able to implement at those two schools and take the learnings from that initial implementation and roll that into the overall implementation later this spring,” said Earnest Wintson, CMS superintendent, in the report.
An increase in violence and the number of instances where weapons were found on campuses prompted the decision, WBTV reported. The CMS police raised the suggestion early this school year when a student was found with a gun at a high school.
Cochrane Collegiate Academy and Hopewell High School are the schools participating in the testing phase for the program, according to the report. Other schools will require students to use clear backpacks later this spring.
The decision has been met with mixed reviews, with some students and parents suggesting that people will find ways to sneak guns and knives onto campus, WBTV reported. Still, others believe being able to see what a student is carrying will deter them.
A firearm was first discovered this academic year in August at Mallard Creek High School, according to the report. Another 26 instances have since been reported, including one at an elementary school.
Alerts Sign-up