‘A game-changer’: Five years after Parkland, Broward Schools to require clear backpacks
Starting next school year, all students in Broward public schools will be allowed only to carry clear, see-through backpacks and bags.
The school district, the sixth largest in the country and one marred by a nationally known school shooting, described the measure as “an additional layer of security” in a press release issued Friday afternoon.
Five years ago, on Valentine’s Day 2018, Nikolas Cruz, a 19-year-old student expelled from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland shot to death 14 students and three faculty members in what was then the deadliest school shooting in Florida history.
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The new rule will apply to all K-12 students. But it won’t affect teachers, staff, volunteers or visitors.
“This added layer of security is a game-changer,” said Broward County Public Schools Interim Superintendent Earlean Smiley. “It will allow school security personnel and everyone on campus to quickly spot and report if someone has brought a prohibited item to school, and it will also help serve as a deterrent.”
The rule will also apply to all bags, including lunchboxes, duffle bags and fanny packs. The district won’t allow mesh and colored backpacks, even if they are transparent.
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The only exceptions will be:
▪ a small non-transparent pouch for personal hygiene items
▪ thermal food containers carried inside clear lunch boxes
▪ school-approved sport-specific carrying cases for athletic equipment
▪ school-approved instrument-specific carrying cases for band equipment
This story was originally published May 5, 2023 at 5:17 PM.
