Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Safety Backpack Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Green Bay school board tables proposal to require high-school backpacks be stored outside classrooms after student testimony
Summary
After robust testimony from Preble students and extended debate, the Green Bay Area Public School District board voted to table a proposed policy that would require secondary students to store backpacks outside classrooms to allow further study and preparation.
The Green Bay Area Public School District Board of Education on Monday moved to table a proposed policy that would require secondary students to keep backpacks outside classrooms, after a sustained public presentation by Inner City Student Council members and lengthy board debate.
Two Preble High School students, Chanel Leopold and Hannah Song, told the board the change would create logistical and academic problems. "Many students want their backpacks right by their side in the classroom," Chanel Leopold said, citing convenience for items used frequently during instruction and hygiene needs. Hannah Song said advanced and dual-credit classes make students carry heavier course loads and that walking to lockers during six-minute passing times would be impractical.
The proposal’s proponents argued it would reduce classroom distractions and improve safety. Board member Alex (first reference speaker 9) framed the measure as a safety and learning-environment improvement and moved to postpone so the district could prepare and engage principals; the chair seconded a tabling motion. After online voting and voice roll-call, the chair declared the motion to table carried. The board did not adopt the backpack-storage rule at the meeting.
Why it matters: Students and some board members warned that a midyear change could disproportionately affect large high schools, create hallway congestion, and worsen theft or damage to devices if lockers are inaccessible or damaged. Supporters said middle-school experience in the district and comparable policies elsewhere show potential benefits for classroom focus and security.
What’s next: Board members asked staff to gather more information, including principal input and implementation language, and the item was set to return to a future agenda for additional consideration.
"We really want all the school investigators to, like, hear what the students are saying and to take this into consideration when you vote," said one ICSC presenter, summarizing student opposition. The board’s tabling motion was presented as a time to study logistics and equity implications before any policy change.
