OXON HILL, Md. — A clear backpack giveaway event in Oxon Hill on Thursday put the focus on the Prince George’s County Public School's new security policies.
Families and excited kids are ramping up for back to school time, but there are some changes many need to know in Prince George’s.
- Clear bags will be required for all 9th – 12th graders, and students attending the county’s non-traditional programs North, South and Middle, according to the County’s 2023 Back to School guide.
- For families that can’t afford a clear bag, schools “will work directly with families to address needs,” according to PGCPS spokesperson Raven Hill.
- Hill said the school system is working with donation partners to provide as many as 10,000 clear backpacks to giveaway.
- No student will be turned away from school for coming without a backpack
At least 250 clear backpacks, stuffed with school supplies, and an Amazon Fire tablet device were given to kids at the Southern Regional Technology and Recreation Center in Oxon Hill on Thursday in a community giveaway supported by Amazon, the Town of Forest Heights, and County Councilmember Ed Burroughs.
“To the extent that parents can afford it, please try to comply with the see-through backpack policy,” Burroughs said as he encouraged parents who can’t afford new bookbags to reach out to school principals, community groups and council members for back to school resources.
Parents at Thursday’s event applauded the new clear bag policy.
“It’s not going to make it 100% safe but it is moving in the right direction,” said parent Christina Jackson.
The clear bag policy is a measure to improve security after at least 15 guns and 201 knives were detected in the last school year.
The backpack policy goes hand-in-hand with the school system’s deployment of metal detectors at all high schools in the upcoming year.
At least 5 high schools will have the detectors by the first day of school on August 28th, with the rest coming online as soon as possible, school officials say.
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