Michigan school district bans backpacks amid gun concerns: ‘a difficult decision’

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One month after Nashville school shooting, schools consider arming teachers

As the rate of school shootings increase, school districts are looking for new ways to keep kids safe. For some, that involves adding more guns on campus.

A school district in Flint, Michigan, is banning backpacks on campuses amid nationwide concerns over school shootings. 

In a letter sent to families last week, Flint Community Schools Superintendent Kevelin Jones said the district had "reached a point where we must make difficult decisions." 

Flint Community Schools is no longer allowing backpacks on campus due to safety concerns.  (Getty Images)

Starting Monday, and lasting through the remainder of the school year, students were no longer allowed to bring backpacks on campus. 

Jones said the district would make some exceptions — within reason — for small purses with personal items, clear plastic bags with gym clothes, and lunch boxes. All bags will still be subject to a search, he said. 

NASHVILLE POLICE DELAY COVENANT SCHOOL SHOOTING MANIFESTO RELEASE 

Students who bring a backpack to school will be sent to the office where they must call a parent to pick up their belongings. The office will not hold the backpack, Jones said. 

"Across the country, we have seen an increase in threatening behavior and contraband, including weapons, being brought into schools at all levels," Jones said. 

"Backpacks make it easier for students to hide weapons, which can be disassembled and harder to identify or hidden in pockets, inside books or under other items." 

FILE: Bodycamera footage shows Nashville Police Department officers responding to the Covenant School in Nashville after 28-year-old Audrey Hale opened fire.  (Metropolitan Nashville Police Department)

Jones conceded that clear backpacks do not completely solve the issue of weapons being brought to school but allow staff to better control what is being brought into the schools. 

The decision has been approved by the Flint Board of Education, the district’s administration, and principals, with support from the Flint Police Department and other safety advocates, Jones said. 

Jones’ letter did not once mention the word "guns," but the new policy comes amid a spate of high-profile school shootings. 

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Since the beginning of 2023, there have been more than 120 school shooting incidents across America, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database. 

Last year marked the most incidents on record in American schools, causing many to worry about how to stop the record-breaking trend from continuing. 

Fox News’ Mills Hayes contributed to this report.