Montgomery Public Schools announced next school year, the district will be requiring all students, regardless of their grade, to use clear bookbag while on campus.

According to WSFA, the change is part of an effort by the system to better protect its students and faculty. The clear bookbag policy has already been in effect for grades 6-12 in Montgomery since the beginning of last school year.

Opponents of the mandatory clear back pack policy believe that it’s a violation of a pupil’s freedom and privacy. Advocates on the other hand suggest that while it may infringe on personal privacy to an extent, in the long run it will help to keep schools safer.

Some schools have even banned bookbags altogether. Per the Washington Post,  a Kentucky high school placed one of the first bans on conventional backpacks after a school shooting in 1993. This coming school year, however,  administration will be allowing clear backpacks.

Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @ShipleyAusten