According to a statement posted on its website, Gwinnett County Public Schools will not implement requirements for clear backpacks for the 2025-2026 school year.
The decision comes after the school district tested clear backpack requirements for students in 33 schools. The pilot program ran from January to early February 2025, with GCPS providing free, clear backpacks to students with the goal of testing the concept of clear backpacks and how they would impact school safety and climate, as well as seeking to understand the potential cost for families.
“The pilot results showed that while clear backpacks added some visibility and a sense of safety for some, using clear backpacks did not significantly positively impact overall safety concerns,” the statement reads.
Feedback on the pilot program was gathered from multiple sources, including:
- A School Safety Advisory Council (October 2024)
- Emails from parents, staff and community members — 324 emails were received with 108 respondents against clear backpacks and 55 concerned with durability or size
- Surveys from students, parents and staff, with more than 6,600 responses — 54% indicated clear backpacks had no impact on overall safety and order in the pilot schools; 12% noted a negative impact; and 14% noted a strong negative impact
- Four focus groups
“The feedback collected from students, families, and staff who participated in the pilot was mixed,” the statement from GCPS reads. “Some participants saw clear backpacks as an extra layer of security, while others raised concerns about privacy, durability, and comfort. Many students and parents were worried about personal items, such as wallets and hygiene products, being visible. Others questioned whether clear backpacks could improve school safety and called for other safety measures.”
The statement indicates the school district is exploring other avenues to increase student safety, including:
- Weapons detectors in middle and high schools
- Increasing the number of school resource officers and private security officers for elementary schools until a full-time SRO can be hired for each elementary school
- Future safety pilot programs, such as improving bus and trailer safety
To read the full statement from GCPS, click here.
