Marshall ISD announces new backpack policy for 2026-2027 school year – Marshall News Messenger

Published 5:44 am Thursday, June 18, 2026
By Lia Portillo
Marshall ISD students will have to have clear or black mesh backpacks beginning in the next school year, school officials announced this week.
The policy change is to ensure the safety of students, district leaders said.
“Every year, we’re looking at ways to help provide a safe and secure learning environment for our students,” said Tiffany Best-Jolly, director of student services. “We just realized that this is one more requirement that we could implement to enhance our campus security and help maintain a positive learning environment for our students and staff.”
This is not the first time that the clear and mesh backpack policy has been implemented at the district. Best-Jolly said she doesn’t remember when that policy was implemented or terminated, but now, it is a “great thing to revisit it and use it to further our commitment to maintaining that safe learning environment for our students,” she said.
Clear and mesh backpacks allow staff to see the contents of a student’s backpack. That could help them spot weapons, illicit substances or other problematic items. Patterned mesh backpacks can be hard to see through, while black mesh or clear plastic are the ones easiest to see through.
“There’s no single measure that can prevent every situation from happening, but clear and mesh backpacks are simply one tool that will help support school school safety,” Best-Jolly said.
Marshall ISD is the only district in the county that has implemented such a policy so far. Best-Jolly said there were no incidents or outside influences that led to the decision.
This Marshall ISD graphic shows which types of backpacks will and won’t be allowed beginning in the fall. (Contributed graphic)
“We like to be ahead of things,” she said. “A backpack is a large concealment, whether it be for something as small as an e-cigarette vape … or something as small as a pocket knife or something larger. So, we want to minimize that as much as possible and still allow our students to carry backpacks.”
The backpack policy will be enforced in the same manner as the district’s dress code policy, though specific disciplinary actions for violations haven’t been formulated yet.
School officials will allow a “grace period” when school starts as families adjust to the new policy, but Best-Jolly encourages people to visit the district’s website and reach out with any questions beforehand.
District leaders are looking to partner with Smart Promo to create clear backpacks sporting the Mavericks logo and make them available for purchase at Maverick Market, located in the district’s merchandise site in the administration building.
To offset the backpack requirement, the district is allowing students to carry non-transparent 8-by-10-inch lunch bags and two other 6-by-9-inch non-transparent bags, such as small tote bags and pencil pouches. Yondr pouches, bags where students place their cellphones, do not count toward the two non-transparent bags.
For questions, comments or concerns, Best-Jolly encourages people to reach out to her via email at best-jollyta@marshallisd.com.
For more information regarding the policy visit the district’s website, marshallisd.com/page/clear-backpack-policy.
Below are some of the requirements for the new policy.
 
 
 

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