Dallas City Wire

The DeSoto Independent School District’s (DISD) ban on backpacks is slated to go into effect on Monday, according to a press release. 

Per the Metroplex public school district, the ban applies to students in grades sixth to 12th and will run through the end of the current academic year.

DISD, which is approximately 17 miles to the south of Downtown Dallas, said in the release that the ban seeks to “reduce any potential distractions,” as well as “facilitate a smooth remainder” of the waning 2022-2023 school year. 

“This measure is being taken out of an abundance of caution and to reduce safety concerns,” the district said. 

Students will be permitted to carry a small clutch that’s the equivalent of a Ziploc sandwich bag or a pencil bag, per the release.

In keeping with its commitment to ensure the safety of students and staff, DISD added that its security personnel “will be in place and visible” during the duration of the school day. 

Internal campus traffic and highly populated areas will be monitored in real time through video surveillance systems.

DISD will also deploy central and support staff to the schools to provide additional support and supervision of students when necessary, the release said.

“DeSoto ISD is committed to maintaining a learning environment that is safe and productive and that supports the criminal prosecution of any individual who threatens harm to our students, staff and campuses,” the release said.

The district urges any parent with questions or concerns about the changes to directly contact their child’s campus.

“I think when you look at the activity around school safety, just in general across the country, there is genuine concern around how do we keep schools safe,” DISD’s communications director, Tiffanie Blackmon-Jones, said in a report from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) ABC affiliate WFAA.