MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) — Students in Montgomery County are returning to classes this week, but without their backpacks, as school officials implement a new policy aimed at increasing security. The ban affects students at Montgomery County High School, Adair County High School, and McNabb Middle School. Superintendent at Montgomery County Schools, Matt Thompson stated the changes…
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) — Students in Montgomery County are returning to classes this week, but without their backpacks, as school officials implement a new policy aimed at increasing security. The ban affects students at Montgomery County High School, Adair County High School, and McNabb Middle School. Superintendent at Montgomery County Schools, Matt Thompson stated the changes are to better students safety.
“So we did this to help everybody to continue to feel safe,” he said. “And the significance of this for our students and our families so that they can see a visual that we have put in place, while at the same time cutting down on the times that could possibly come into school,” said Superintendent Thompson.
The decision to prohibit backpacks follows a recent incident in which a student was found with a loaded gun on campus. The district also faced heightened security concerns after canceling classes last Friday due to rumors circulating on social media.
“When we were planning for how to respond to the weapon that was in our school last week, we knew that we needed to have a short term immediate response, and that we also needed to begin planning for along term response,” said Supt. Thompson.
However, the new policy has sparked concerns among some parents, who worry about the potential impact on students’ daily routines .
“Those who have concerns, give it some time. Allow us to work through some of those things,” said Thompson. “I don’t know that we view this as a permanent thing, I think at some point we will look at what other options there are whether that’s clear back packs or mesh back packs or something like that,” he said.
In response to these concerns, Thompson noted that additional security measures are currently being developed and will be implemented soon.
As schools navigate these challenges, officials emphasize the importance of creating a safe environment for all students.