The clear backpack policy: a rule enforced across schools to keep children and teens safe from threats. With this rule, we have to consider how safe clear backpacks keep students, teachers, but also be aware of the inconveniences and issues they pose for students.

In practical terms, a clear backpack isn’t the most reliable; they break easily and don't hold as much as a real backpack. Holey backpacks are everywhere and can be seen on the backs of students as they walk the DRHS halls. Many have had to turn to tape and staples just to keep their backpack from ripping open completely. A good quality clear backpack can cost up to $138 dollars. That’s just for the bare minimum of your backpack not ripping open in between passing periods. Most students are barely able to afford the basic clear backpacks they have now, so they are stuck settling with bags that cannot go more than a month without tearing. 

As well,  since all a student’s items are on view, many at DRHS feel the bags invade their privacy. Everything in our backpacks is open to the public eye for safety. However, this is a concern for many students. Students keep personal items such as their car keys, personal IDs, and money/debit cards inside their backpacks. Students fear a peer may notice their car keys in class and take them while outside the classroom seeking help or visiting the restroom. Someone could see the license through the clear pvc and take down the owner’s from it. More concerning, a student could have their bank information or money stolen as a result as well. 

Many important, personal items are stored in these backpacks, there is the danger a student loses access to their car or personal funds. As well, students may fear private information like their address is stuck on display.

For this, it may seem that keeping a wallet in your bag with all of these items would be a perfect solution. Which would be the case for a normal, sturdy backpack, but clear backpacks are far from sturdy. With a big tear in your backpack unreliable backpack, having your wallet fall out of a big tear in the side of your backpack is the most likely reality for you and, again, it could end up stolen or lost. 

These concerns are “what if” scenarios, but they are very much real life situations that pose a concern to student’s well-being that need to be considered.