Milton Area High School is allowing backpacks for the first time in over a decade.
According to Principal Mr. Michael Bergey, in the early 2000s the high school allowed backpacks, but due to safety reasons, they were outlawed during the school day until this year.
The process of changing the policy began with years of feedback from the students and staff, said Mr. Bergey. He added that the number of books a student needed to carry and the locker distances made not having backpacks hard for students.
Years of students and staff asking for a change caused the administration to begin to work on a solution, he said.
According to Mr. Bergey he considered the feedback and evaluated other school districts’ policies. He had a conversation with administrators above him and they ultimately agreed to bring it to the board in July, he said.
Mr. Bergey said he brought his proposal to the school board as a statement, not a question: “We are bringing back backpacks. Are there any objections to that?” After the board had no objections, Mr. Bergey said he announced it to the students.
Mr. Bergey explained that this policy is on a trial basis, adding that if it goes well with few issues, it will continue.
According to Mr. Bergey, he feels “neutral” about it.
“I have heard zero negatives or positives at this point,” he said, adding that he needs to converse with the teachers about how it’s working. He also said that there haven’t been any issues (that he has heard) with the new policy.
According to Superintendent Dr. John Bickhart, he has seen positive reactions to the new backpack policy. “I know a backpack has been easier than a computer bag because it can carry more,” he said. However, he added that students are reminded daily to keep backpacks out of walkways to ensure no tripping hazards and to not overload their backpacks with additional items not needed in schools.
“I cannot say that this will be a part of the procedures next year. We will be listening to feedback throughout the year to make that decision,” Dr. Bickhart said.
Mr. Bergey said that Milton High School is doing about the same academically with the backpacks as we would be without them. He added that that would be a question for the students.
Mr. Bergey is also aware of the possible repercussions backpacks could cause, including violent weapons or illegal substances being brought into the school. “Am I worried about it? No. Aware? Yes,” said Mr. Bergey.
