This SC district now requires students use clear bookbags to reduce guns in schools

An Upstate school district will require students’ backpacks to be clear when school resumes in August.

Laurens District 55 had two incidents of students bringing a gun to school during the last school year and launched a gofundme effort to buy specially-trained dogs to search for firearms. About $3,000 of the $20,000 goal has been raised so far.

The district includes the city of Laurens and some outlying areas in 10 schools with a total of about 5,700 students.

Orangeburg County schools has expanded its clear bag policy to include elementary schools. The district bought bags for all middle and high school students for the last school year.

In Laurens County in February, an elementary school student brought a loaded handgun to school to “shoot zombies,” Detective J.C. Brewington from the Laurens Police Department said in a news conference at the time.

The child’s grandfather was arrested for not securing the gun.

Also in February, a student was found with a gun in a backpack after a relative contacted the school to say the child might have a gun.

The student was taken to the Department of Juvenile Justice.

The district released a statement saying, “Parents, students, and community, please understand the seriousness, danger, and ramifications of having firearms and any other type of weapon on school property and in school buildings. We must all work together to stop this from happening again.”

In neighboring Greenville County Schools, a middle school student was shot and killed during the past school year. A fellow student has been charged.

The new bookbag policy says no colored backpacks, no designs. Mesh pockets are allowed as are non-transparent lunch boxes, pencil bags, and purses no larger than 6” x 9.” Monograms not larger than 4 inches are allowed.

Athletic bags are allowed but must be stored in lockers.

This story was originally published July 7, 2022 at 9:49 AM with the headline "This SC district now requires students use clear bookbags to reduce guns in schools."