Cary, North Carolina — Wake County Public School System students, families and fans can only bring clear bags to high school spectator events instead of traditional purses, hip packs and tote bags under a new security proposal.
Tuesday’s meeting is expected to focus in part on the proposal, but board members may also discuss Monday’s incident and general safety issues.
“Nothing is more important than the safety and health of our staff and students. Please know that we are committed to continually improving the safety of our schools,” Wake Superintendent Robert Taylor and Wake County School Board Chair Lindsay Mahaffey said in a joint statement to parents Monday. “We will continue to review all safety processes and protocols to determine what happened and what changes need to be made.”
Some school principals have been pushing system officials for months to allow only clear bags, according to a presentation prepared for the school board. It’s unclear whether the bags will be searched, although authorities say this is a safety measure.
There is no proposed timeline for when such a policy would actually be voted on by the full board or when it would go into effect. If implemented, it would first apply to high schools, but authorities will then decide whether the policy can also be applied to middle schools.
Clear bags are commonly required at professional sporting events, concerts, and many high-level college athletics competitions. Other school systems also have clear bag policies, including Guilford County Schools.
Wake’s policy, which will be discussed Tuesday, does not address safety measures other than the types of bags people can bring to the event. The proposed policy would only allow the following:
- One clear bag per person up to 12″ x 15″ x 3″.
- Additional clear clutch bag no larger than 4″ x 6″ x 1″.
- diaper bag
- A bag containing necessary medical supplies for participants, such as emergency medicines and respirators.
- Limited loose items such as coats, blankets, seat cushions up to 18 inches, soft baby carrying devices, and medically necessary equipment.
Coat pockets and “stowable compartments” must be empty upon entry.
No other bags are allowed. The proposal would ban cloth backpacks, fanny packs, belt bags, wallets, string bags, briefcases, rolling bags, briefcases and duffel bags.
It is a crime to bring a weapon to school, even if it is not used. Weapons are sometimes brought onto campus, but they are rarely used in crimes.
For bringing a weapon (usually a knife) onto public and charter school campuses in North Carolina during the 2021-22 school year, according to the state Office of Public Instruction, which compiles annual data on criminal offenses reported in schools. 3,292 students were reported. This data indicates the number of students for whom a crime was reported and does not necessarily indicate the number of criminal incidents that occurred. The most recent data available is for the 2021-22 school year, and while that total is higher than in recent years, it is less than a decade old. That year, 62 students were reported for assault with a weapon, an increase from the previous year but less than 10 years ago.
In the Wake County Public School System, five students were reported for assault with a weapon on school grounds and 442 students were reported for bringing a weapon to school during the 2021-22 school year. Eight students were reported for bringing firearms onto campus.
The school board’s safety and security committee will also discuss future agreement renewals between the district and school resource officers. No changes are proposed at this time.