What began as a backpack ban in one Schaumburg District 54 junior high school has caught on, as three other district schools join the fight to keep the bags out of classrooms.
In fall, students at Addams, Frost and Mead Junior High Schools will have to carry their packs to school and leave them in their lockers instead of hauling the bulky bags to class.
A similar ban is under consideration by officials at the district’s fifth junior high school, Eisenhower.
The bans come several months after Keller Junior High School in Schaumburg outlawed the packs from crowded classrooms. That ban will continue next year, officials said.
The bans were not coordinated among the schools, but principals noted similar reasons for imposing them.
At Addams, officials said they were increasingly worried about packs weighing 20 pounds or more.
“The packs are so large, and kids are growing,” said Scott Thompson, principal at Addams. “We thought the weight of carrying the things was just unhealthy.”
Safety also topped the reasons given at Frost, where school nurses reported four injuries–one requiring stitches–from students tripping over backpacks in hallways and classrooms, said Frost Principal Dan Farinosi.
Teachers at Mead voted to eliminate backpacks from classrooms, saying the size of the bags was getting out of hand.
“Last year, there was a student who had a backpack on wheels, like luggage going to the airport,” said Mead Principal Robert Wulffen.
Since Keller’s ban began in January, there have been no increases in student tardiness or tripping accidents, said Keller Principal Lillian Mosier.
