HEARNE, Texas (KRHD) — The 2024-2025 school year will be the first full year Hearne ISD will be enforcing clear and mesh backpacks in the school district.
- The backpack policy was first adopted in January of 2024.
- The clear and mesh backpacks are meant to enhance security and increase the safety of the students in Hearne.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
This is the first full year Hearne ISD will be enforcing clear and mesh backpacks.
"I think it's for a good cause, I think that it will try to eliminate some issues that they're having in the schools," Hearne ISD parent, Lenore Gonzales said.
This new district rule has brought both acceptance...
"It makes no difference to me, it's a backpack, they do break a little easier, but school provides it for us, so that's good," Hearne senior, Jabez Johnson said.
And some rejection…
"I feel like we don't need them, I feel like the school be safe for the past years I've been here, and i just want my regular backpacks," Hearne senior Kemon Langham said.
From the students in Hearne ISD, but they do agree on one thing.
"To me, it was like, I ain't like it, but like, the school said we needed it because of safety, and they right about that," Langham said.
"Yeah, you can tell if anybody got anything in their backpack and we have a metal detector at our door, so that's gonna keep us a lot more safe," Johnson said.
15ABC also spoke to a local parent, Lenore Gonzales, who has two family members going to school in the Hearne ISD.
She told15ABC she loves the extra safety precautions the school district is taking.
"I think high schools should all have it across the country, I think it should be a mandated thing nationwide for that," Gonzales said.
"I hope they hold onto it for the safety of other kids," she said.
Gonzales told15ABC that she's happy the school is looking out for student safety, but thinks that parents need to do the same.
"Parents need to be more involved and understand what their kids are doing, going through their phones, checking things and it just takes parents because a school district can only do so much," she said.
