‘DIFFICULT DECISION’

Michigan School District Bans All Backpacks—Even Clear Ones—Over Weapon Concerns

The decision followed two separate safety incidents that resulted in classes being canceled at a grade school in Flint last month.

A ban on all backpacks, including those made of clear plastic material, went into effect in a Michigan public school district on Monday, prompted by administrators’ growing safety concerns over weapons. Flint Community Schools’ bag prohibition will be in place for the rest of the school year. The “difficult decision,” as district Superintendent Kevelin Jones characterized it last week, was made in response to two separate incidents where threats resulted in classes being canceled for two days at the district’s high school, according to MLive.com. “We apologize for any inconvenience that this policy will have on our scholars and families,” Jones said in the letter. “But when it comes to the safety of our school community, we will not take any chances.”