Albuquerque Public Schools
Five APS Schools Adopt Clear Backpack Policy to Enhance Campus Safety
District provides free backpacks to students at those schools, touts layered security strategy.
Five Albuquerque Public Schools campuses launched a new clear backpack policy Tuesday as part of a broader, multilayered approach to enhance school safety and security across the district.
The initiative, which began on the first day of the spring semester, requires all students at Cleveland, Hayes, Kennedy, Washington and Wilson middle schools to use clear backpacks. Del Norte High School will institute the policy in August.
Superintendent Gabriella Blakey said the clear backpack policy was adopted by the Instructional Councils at each school after reviewing surveys from students, families and staff.
“Clear backpacks will make it tougher for students to conceal things they shouldn’t have like weapons,” Dr. Blakey said at a news conference at Cleveland Middle School. “It’s another layer of security for these campuses. But it’s just part of the solution.”
To assist families, APS purchased 7,000 clear backpacks for $90,000, funding the cost with earnings from the district’s graphics shop. The backpacks were distributed to students for free on Tuesday.
Taylor Middle School implemented a clear backpack requirement three or four years ago and has seen good results, district officials told reporters.
Deputy Superintendent for Operations Antonio Gonzales detailed the district’s extensive security strategy, emphasizing that the new policy is part of a "diverse, multifaceted and layered approach to school safety." This strategy includes:
- Infrastructure: A $60 million investment in security infrastructure, including fencing, cameras, alarms and heavy-duty locks on all 6,900 classrooms.
- Intervention: Programs like the use of "redirectors" (specially trained educational assistants), counseling resources, a District Stress Management and Recovery Team, and an Integrated Supports Team for behavior intervention.
- Protocols: The Centegix CrisisAlert system for staff to summon help, ALICE training, site safety plans with active shooter drills, and zero-tolerance policies for students caught with a gun.
Gonzales noted that the district operates a 24/7 school police/security command center and encourages students to “say something if they see something,” a practice that has been effective in leading to the discovery of weapons. The district also already has a clear-bag policy in place for all sporting venues.