To the Altoona Area High School Administration, School Board, and District Leadership, We are asking Altoona Area High School to reconsider its newly announced ban on zip-up binders, commonly known as Trapper Keepers.

We understand that school safety is important. We understand why the school has implemented clear-bag policies, metal detectors, searches, and other security measures. Students have adapted to these rules for years because we understand that keeping our school safe matters.

But this new policy has left many students and families feeling blindsided—not because we don't care about safety, but because this rule was announced after many of us had already spent our money on these supplies.

We bought these binders because they were allowed. Students and parents went school shopping expecting to use the supplies they purchased.

Some students have already spent $25, $30, or even more on zip-up binders because they are useful for keeping everything organized. For families already struggling to afford school supplies, being told after the school year has started that those supplies can no longer be used creates a financial burden that could have easily been avoided with earlier communication.

We shouldn't have to throw away or replace something we purchased when there was no rule against owning or using it when we bought it.

These aren't just "bags", for students in honors, AP, and other demanding classes, staying organized is already difficult.

We carry notebooks, papers, worksheets, textbooks, assignments, and materials for multiple classes. Not every teacher puts every assignment online, meaning students sometimes have no choice but to carry physical materials.

We also don't have unlimited time between classes. Sometimes the time between bells is barely enough to get from one building to another. Going to a locker between every class isn't always realistic.

A zip-up binder gives students one organized place to keep their schoolwork.

We're not asking to bring something dangerous into school. We're asking to keep using a school supply.

We already go through security every day. Students already walk through metal detectors and have their belongings checked. We have adapted to waiting in security lines, dealing with equipment problems, morning delays, and adjusting our routines around these procedures.

If the concern is that something could be hidden inside a zip-up binder, why not simply inspect the binder rather than ban it?

We are proposing a simple solution:

The "Pre-Unzipped" Plan :
Students who use zip-up binders would have to arrive at the security checkpoint with the binder completely unzipped and held open. 

That way, staff can see what's inside without having to stop and unzip every student's binder individually.

It would take away the concern about something being concealed inside while still allowing students to use the supplies they already purchased.

We are asking for a compromise, as we completely understand that completely removing a new school policy may not be realistic.

That's why our main request is a grandfather clause.

Students who purchased zip-up binders before the ban was announced should be allowed to use them for the remainder of this school year.

In exchange, those students can agree to follow the pre-unzipped security procedure.

The school could then decide whether the policy should apply to future school years, giving families plenty of time to understand the requirements before buying school supplies.

If the administration isn't willing to do that, we ask for something even simpler:

Give us a two-week trial.

Let students use their zip-up binders while keeping them completely open during security screening. See whether it actually creates a security problem or slows down the morning process.

If it doesn't work, the school can reconsider.

But if it does work, then we've found a solution that protects security without forcing students to throw away supplies they already purchased.

This isn't about choosing binders over safety.
It's about finding a solution that does both.

We respect the people responsible for keeping our school safe. We understand that they have difficult decisions to make.

But students and parents deserve to have a voice when a policy directly affects our everyday lives.

The timing of this rule matters.

The money families have already spent matters.

The students who rely on these binders to stay organized matter.

And our education matters.

We are asking Altoona Area High School to work with us—not against us—to find a reasonable solution.

Please sign this petition if you believe students who purchased zip-up binders before the ban was announced should be allowed to use them this school year, provided they follow reasonable security procedures.

What we're asking the school to do:
- Allow students who already purchased zip-up binders to keep using them this school year.
- Require those binders to be completely unzipped and visible during security screening.
- Consider a two-week trial period to determine whether this solution works.
- If a ban is ultimately necessary, give families advance notice and implement it beginning with the next school year.

We aren't asking the school to ignore safety.

We're asking the school to let us find a way to be safe AND stay organized.

Please listen to the students and families affected by this decision.

Please sign this petition and help us find a compromise.