A book bag restriction at South Orange Middle School, followed by one at Maplewood Middle School at the beginning of the school year, quickly became a big issue – and a lesson in advocacy – for students at both schools.
At the beginning of the school year, students were not allowed to carry backpacks, tote bags or drawstring bags between classes, leaving many to carry their Chromebooks, binders, folders and other supplies by hand.
Students, who have a lot to carry as they make their way quickly between classes, said the policy made getting to class more difficult.
“Without having a bag to carry my stuff, I often dropped all my books,” said 8th grader Leo Rafalin, adding he noticed students arriving late to class because they had dropped their belongings or had difficulty carrying everything.
So they decided to do something to try to change the new policy. They and their spoke out, and online petitions started by students at both schools gained support with hundreds of signatures on each.
They raised many concerns through those petitions from eighth-graders carrying two or three binders to students who menstruate potentially needing quick, private access to pads or tampons to students saying the policy could be especially difficult for those with physical conditions or neurodivergence.
Seventh grader Josie Saporito experienced a physical challenge herself. Saporito has a shoulder injury and said carrying her supplies without a bag aggravated it.
“Going to school the first day without a tote bag was difficult,” Saporito said. “Hunching over to hold my stuff was very aggravating.”
As frustration with the policy grew, more students began signing and sharing the Change.org petitions calling for the book bag ban to be reversed, with 796 people signing the South Orange Middle petition in just a few days, and 390 signing the Maplewood Middle petition. Students and parents also reached out to the South Orange-Maplewood School District.
Then, just 10 days into the school year, the Superintendent of Schools reversed the policy.
“After carefully listening to the concerns that have been raised, I want to share an important update. The book bag ban will be removed, and students will be permitted to carry a string bag during the school day, including when moving between classes,” Superintendent of Schools Jason Bing wrote to middle school families on September 10.
Eighth grader Valentine Betz signed the petition and told the Village Green she felt the number of students speaking up was an important part of its success.
“I think it was successful because it was a lot of people and a lot of voices all saying the same thing,” Betz said. “I was so relieved when the ban was reversed…It was really hard to deal with, and I was just glad to be done with it.”
The District’s response showed students that they can call attention to an issue and bring about change by organizing and making their concerns heard.
“I think the petition and the activism were successful because they heard from the student body,” Saporito said. “With that many voices, it makes a change, and then it makes people see that it’s a problem.”
Daniela Gehlaut is a 12th grade student at Columbia High School and is working with Village Green as a paid freelancer through a grant from the NJ Civic Information Consortium.
The SOMS petition garnered 796 signatures and was declared a victory after the reversal of the book bag ban. (Screenshot from change.org.)
