When Middle Schoolers still had backpacks, students had figured out a way to bring their video game controllers into classrooms through their backpacks and connect them to their Chromebooks. Games like Fortnite, Minecraft, and Roblox began to become popular games to play, often being prioritized over schoolwork or socializing with peers. When the pandemic ended in 2023, the school board removed middle schoolers’ privileges to having backpacks in class. Cell phones and backpacks now had to stay in their locker, and could only be accessed during passing time.
Back in 2020, when COVID hit, Cannon Falls Schools decided to allow students to have their backpacks in class to reduce the number of people going to their lockers since they’d be too close to one another. Most teachers didn’t like having backpacks in class too much but didn’t have much say in the decision. After the COVID restrictions were lifted in 2023, lots of middle school students missed the freedom and the “relief of knowing you have everything with you at all times,” according to student Anya Nygaard. High school students still have backpack privileges this year, although the board is currently discussing taking away the rights for them to have backpacks, too.
While most teachers didn’t appreciate all of the space and chaos that the backpacks cause, lots of students say they liked it. They liked having all of their materials with them at all times, and also the not-so-good things, like being able to have their electronics or other personal belongings with them. Having their backpacks with them could also open the door to even worse things being brought in, such as weapons or illegal substances. Not knowing everything that a student has in their backpacks is a big problem with teachers. It makes some feel uneasy or uncomfortable. Teachers also dislike the amount of space that backpacks take up. Anne Davisson says she was “constantly tripping over backpacks during COVID. It was both annoying and humiliating.”
Once the COVID quarantine was over, teachers were quick to push the school board to lift the rules of backpacks in classes. The main reason why lots of teachers are against the idea of backpacks in class is quite simple: they take up too much space. Most teachers actually quite like the idea of backpacks in class since it would lower the number of students leaving class to grab materials if it weren’t for the amount of space they take up.
Principal Tim Hodges says that he doesn’t think that allowing backpacks in class would affect passing time, but it may affect locker usage. “Many high school students don’t use their lockers at all,” says Hodges. One benefit of not having backpacks in class is that they noticed that when they took away that privilege, the amount of Chromebook damage decreased.
The pros don’t necessarily outweigh the cons, although it may be a good idea to give it another shot. It worked very well during the COVID pandemic, but there isn’t really a need to bring them back. It would be more of a hassle than what lots of people want to deal with. The future of backpacks being in middle school classes again in Cannon Falls is unknown. But as of right now, there is not any discussion about rules being changed.
