Principal Kristopher Fischer has recently enforced a new and highly controversial bag policy at Rudd Middle School that bans students from using backpacks and lockers for the entire 2025–2026 school year. This policy is not only unnecessary but deeply inconvenient, frustrating, and completely out of step with the needs of students today. It’s also worth noting that no other school in our district has imposed such an extreme rule—this decision is exclusive to our school, and students are already feeling the consequences. 

The reasoning behind the policy, which is that students will be provided with supplies and Chromebooks by the school and therefore won’t need backpacks or lockers, is flawed and shortsighted. Students carry far more than just pencils and paper—many of us bring personal items like hygiene products, snacks, medications, lunchboxes, water bottles, and supplies for extracurriculars. Removing our access to lockers and backpacks strips away our ability to manage our day comfortably and efficiently. While athletes and others involved in sports are allowed to drop off their bags in locker rooms, this exception only applies to a small group of students and doesn’t solve the broader issue. What about the rest of us? Expecting students to juggle everything by hand from class to class is impractical and unfair. 

We urge Principal Fischer and the Rudd administration to reverse this policy immediately and listen to the voices of the very students this rule affects. We are not asking for special treatment—we are asking to be heard. Let our voices count. Sign this petition and help restore logic and fairness to our school.