Should students be able to bring their backpacks from class to class?

Students at Sartell High School are not allowed to carry their backpacks around throughout the school day; however, we are provided a locker to store many of our materials in. There are several reasons why the school has decided not to allow backpacks in the classroom, but there are also many reasons students should have the right to bring their backpack from class to class. Sartell High School has debated greatly on whether it should allow backpacks in the classroom, especially with the opening of the new high school quickly approaching.

Why administration should allow backpacks in the classroom: 

Many students need backpacks for various reasons and pose no danger to teachers or their classmates. Backpacks provide a healthy way for students to transport items to and from school or class. Having backpacks in class would benefit both students and teachers. For starters, students wouldn’t have to worry about going to lockers, which would prevent them from being tardy. It takes lots of time to go through the hallways to retrieve class items and still get to classes on time. Currently, students have to carry every single notebook to each class or have to rush to their locker between classes. Another reason to have backpacks in class is to keep all student notebooks and folders off of desks/tables. Backpacks could just hang from the chairs and would be easy to access throughout the class period.

Why administration shouldn’t allow backpacks in the classroom:

Some schools don’t allow students to carry backpacks to school (or in the classroom) because of the possibility students may use a backpack to conceal weapons, explosives, drugs, or alcohol. It is also considered that backpacks cause a space issue in hallways and classrooms because they take up too much room. Along with this, many school districts can’t afford to install metal detectors and don’t have enough people to perform daily backpack checks. Backpacks may also pose a threat in the case of a fire or need to escape the building because there wouldn’t be clear pathways out of the classroom with backpacks laying around.