Allow stainless steel reusable water bottles in Ascension Parish schools
The Issue
As a parent in Ascension Parish, I care deeply about the safety, health, and well-being of our children. I support reasonable school security measures, but I believe parents should have a say in the everyday health choices we make for our children—including what type of water bottle they use.
Many families intentionally choose stainless-steel, glass, or other reusable water bottles because they prefer to limit their children's use of plastic and have concerns about the materials their children are exposed to. These are personal health and family choices that parents should be able to make. A 2024 YouGov survey found that 58% of U.S. households have tried to reduce their plastic use. If that percentage were extrapolated to the U.S. population, that would represent approximately 199 million Americans.
The new requirement that students use only clear, untinted water bottles removes that choice. Families who have already invested in reusable bottles may now be required to purchase another bottle simply because their existing bottle is not transparent.
I understand the district's security concerns. However, a blanket prohibition on non-clear reusable bottles may not be the only solution. The district has stated that items could be hidden inside opaque bottles, but parents have not been told what items were found, how often this occurred, or what evidence shows that banning opaque bottles provides a meaningful security benefit. If the concern is that something could be concealed inside a bottle, why not inspect the bottle when necessary rather than prohibit it altogether?
This petition is not about opposing school security. It is about finding a reasonable balance between security, parental choice, health considerations, and practical common sense. If other opaque containers can be permitted subject to inspection, parents should have an opportunity to understand why reusable water bottles are being treated differently.
I am asking the Ascension Parish School Board to reconsider the clear-bottle requirement and allow students to use reusable water bottles of their parents' choosing, including non-clear bottles, subject to reasonable security inspection when necessary.
Parents should be able to make informed decisions about the products their children use every day. We can protect our students while also respecting families' ability to make those choices.
Please sign this petition and help us ask Ascension Parish Schools to reconsider this policy.
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The Issue
As a parent in Ascension Parish, I care deeply about the safety, health, and well-being of our children. I support reasonable school security measures, but I believe parents should have a say in the everyday health choices we make for our children—including what type of water bottle they use.
Many families intentionally choose stainless-steel, glass, or other reusable water bottles because they prefer to limit their children's use of plastic and have concerns about the materials their children are exposed to. These are personal health and family choices that parents should be able to make. A 2024 YouGov survey found that 58% of U.S. households have tried to reduce their plastic use. If that percentage were extrapolated to the U.S. population, that would represent approximately 199 million Americans.
The new requirement that students use only clear, untinted water bottles removes that choice. Families who have already invested in reusable bottles may now be required to purchase another bottle simply because their existing bottle is not transparent.
I understand the district's security concerns. However, a blanket prohibition on non-clear reusable bottles may not be the only solution. The district has stated that items could be hidden inside opaque bottles, but parents have not been told what items were found, how often this occurred, or what evidence shows that banning opaque bottles provides a meaningful security benefit. If the concern is that something could be concealed inside a bottle, why not inspect the bottle when necessary rather than prohibit it altogether?
This petition is not about opposing school security. It is about finding a reasonable balance between security, parental choice, health considerations, and practical common sense. If other opaque containers can be permitted subject to inspection, parents should have an opportunity to understand why reusable water bottles are being treated differently.
I am asking the Ascension Parish School Board to reconsider the clear-bottle requirement and allow students to use reusable water bottles of their parents' choosing, including non-clear bottles, subject to reasonable security inspection when necessary.
Parents should be able to make informed decisions about the products their children use every day. We can protect our students while also respecting families' ability to make those choices.
Please sign this petition and help us ask Ascension Parish Schools to reconsider this policy.
The Decision Makers
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Petition created on August 10, 2026