Backpacks/Bookbags

Students are not permitted to carry backpacks and bookbags to class during the school day. All backpacks and bookbags must be placed in students’ lockers during the day. Purses or handbags may be carried during the school day; however, such items must not be larger than 8½″ x 11″.

Junior High Lockers

Students in junior high school are assigned a locker for storing coats or jackets, bookbags or backpacks, and other personal items during school hours. Students may not change lockers without permission from administrative staff. Lockers should be kept locked and the combination kept confidential. The school assumes no responsibility for the loss of articles from a locker.

Lockers are on loan to students and remain the property of the Board of Education. School administrative personnel have the right to inspect lockers at any time. Any damage to the locker is the student’s responsibility. Lockers should be kept clean. No open food or beverage other than water may be stored in lockers. Scotch tape and masking tape may be used inside lockers, but stickers are not permitted, as they damage the paint. Lockers may be decorated before or after school for special occasions, but permission must be obtained from the office before decorating. No balloons, confetti, or hallway signs are permitted.

Lost and Found

Parents/guardians are urged to mark all personal belongings with their child(ren)’s name in permanent marker or with a name tag. Each school maintains a lost and found area where children or parents/guardians may claim lost articles.

Bringing Items to School/Articles Not Permitted

Articles that interfere in any way with school procedures, disrupt the educational process, or are hazards to the safety of others are not allowed at school. Such items include, but are not limited to:

• Cigarettes, e-cigarettes, vaping devices, and/or other tobacco products;

• Drugs, including over-the-counter drugs and look-alike drugs (see Medication at School);

• Alcohol;

• Weapons or look-alike items (firearms, knives, etc.);

• Lighters or matches;

• Laser pointers; and

• Aerosol cans.

Possession of these items is prohibited at school and may result in detention, suspension, or expulsion. A student who uses, possesses, distributes, purchases, or sells an explosive, firearm, or any other object that can reasonably be considered a weapon can be expelled in accordance with Board of Education Policy 7:190 Student Behavior. If a student brings a firearm or weapon to school, the criminal justice or juvenile court system will be notified. 

Personal iPods, e-readers, iPads, earbuds, and/or other electronic devices may not be used in school. Upon arrival at school, such items must be turned off and placed in the student’s hallway locker immediately and remain there throughout the school day and during after-school activities. Items used during the school day without staff permission may be confiscated and held until a parent/guardian can pick them up. It is highly recommended that such items remain at home. 

Cell Phones

Student possession and/or use of cell phones and other electronic devices while at school is governed by Board of Education Policy 7:190 Student Behavior. Here is the excerpt related to cell phones:

School administration is authorized to discipline students for gross disobedience or misconduct including, but not limited to:

• Using or possessing a cellular phone, video recording device, or other electronic device in any manner that disrupts the educational environment or violates the rights of others, including using the device to take photographs in locker rooms or bathrooms, cheat, or otherwise violate student conduct rules. Prohibited conduct specifically includes, without limitation, creating, sending, sharing, viewing, receiving, or possessing an indecent visual depiction of oneself or another person through the use of a computer, electronic communication device, or cellular telephone. 

• All electronic devices (i.e., cell phones, earbuds, headphones, cellular wrist devices, etc.) must be kept powered-off and kept in the locker during the regular school day unless: (a) use of the device is provided in a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP); or (b) it is needed in an emergency that threatens the safety of students, staff, or other individuals.