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Aug 29, 2023

Town hall meeting to address new clear backpack rule at Broward County Public Schools

Michelle Solomon, Podcast Producer/Reporter Broward County parents, staff and

Michelle Solomon, Podcast Producer/Reporter

Broward County parents, staff and members of the community will be able to participate in a safety town hall meeting hosted by the Broward County School Board and Broward County Public Schools (BCPS). The topic of the town hall meeting on Monday, June 12, will be the requirement for students to only be allowed to carry clear backpacks and bags starting in the 2023-2024 school year.

Recently, BCPS announced that beginning on Monday, Aug. 21, 2023 – the first day of the 2023/24 school year – students will only be allowed to carry clear backpacks and bags (lunch boxes, purses, duffel bags, fanny packs, etc.) on school campuses.

Mesh and colored backpacks will not be permitted, even if they are transparent, according to district officials.

There are a few exceptions including, small non-transparent pouches for personal hygiene items, thermal food containers carried inside clear lunch boxes, school-approved sport-specific carrying cases for athletic equipment, and school-approved instrument-specific carrying cases for band equipment.

Staff, faculty, volunteers and school visitors will be exempt from the rule, according to a FAQ page set up on the BCPS website.

The School Safety Town Hall Meeting will begin at 6 p.m. with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. at Plantation High School, 6901 N.W. 16th St., Plantation. The district will live stream the event.

Prior to the meeting, the public can share questions or feedback on twitter@browardschools.

On Local 10 News’ "This Week in South Florida," Broward School Board Member Daniels Foganholi spoke with host Glenna Milberg about the new rule and why the implementation.

"Here in Broward County, we meet the standard for safety and I believe as a board we don't just want to meet the standard but set the standard," said Foganholi.

"I believe that we are going to push to not only be the safest district in Florida, but we want to be the safest district in the country."

Foganholi said he understands some of the criticism of the clear backpack requirement.

"When it comes to clear backpacks, I understand that a lot of people feel that it's a false perceived safety measure but for us it's a layer, a layer to make our district safer."

Critics of clear backpacks argue that they are a violation of the Fourth Amendment and that clear backpacks invade students’ privacy. Other arguments included that clear backpacks add an additional financial burden for families having to buy the

It isn't the first time the school district required students to carry clear backpacks.

A policy was implemented at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in the five months following the Valentine's Day massacre at the school in 2018. It was scrapped in August 2018.

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