School lockers? (Mesa: home, middle school, live in)

[Pizzaman01]

My son, who is 11, started 6th grade today. We live in Anthem. There are no lockers in the school, and the kids have to carry their backpacks, that weigh a lot, all over school, because there is not even storage in the desks to leave anything in the classroom.

Why are there no lockers at the school?

Thanks

[Burning Madolf]

What did the teacher/administrator/district people say?

[LocoAZnative]

Not sure now but 6th grade was still elementary school, and did't get lockers until Jr High 7th grade. If 6th graders now have lockers they were probably taken away so kids can't hide drug, guns, rocket launchers, nukes.

[rgscpat]

Times have changed. In many schools, lockers have probably been gone for about a generation. And that's how long many kids have been suffering back problems after combining cheap daypacks, heavy loads, poor posture, and poor weight distribution or just not wearing packs properly.

[pbenjamin]

When our boys were in middle school (mid 90s, Sunrise Middle School, PVUSD) they discontinued lockers. The story was that the lockers, which were concentrated in a small area, posed a discipline problem and required security guards. To mitigate the impact of the change they bought more books, so that the kids could keep a copy at home and then use one that stayed in the classroom, thus avoiding a need to cart the books back and forth. I never liked the idea, seems that in earlier days the lockers would line the corridors outside the classrooms and that the teachers would police the area adjacent to the classrooms. No need for "security". I guess the union contract removed this responsibility. I usually support unions but that change seemed wrong.

[LBTRS]

My daughter didn't have lockers last year in a brand new elementary school and she doesn't have them this year in a new high school. She carries her books everywhere, I think lockers are going away.

[BuckeyeBoyDJ]

Not only lockers but some jr highs don't even allow the students to wear backpacks. When I was in Jr High from 03-05 backpacks were strictly forbidden out of fear of students bringing drugs, weapons, etc. Everyone carried one of those zipper binder things around campus. Worst two years of my life it was so frustrating not having a backpack and having to carry around a heavy binder all day.

[Bungle]

Originally Posted by rgscpat

Times have changed. In many schools, lockers have probably been gone for about a generation. And that's how long many kids have been suffering back problems after combining cheap daypacks, heavy loads, poor posture, and poor weight distribution or just not wearing packs properly.

Problem Solved

[observer53]

Originally Posted by Pizzaman01

My son, who is 11, started 6th grade today. We live in Anthem. There are no lockers in the school, and the kids have to carry their backpacks, that weigh a lot, all over school, because there is not even storage in the desks to leave anything in the classroom.

Why are there no lockers at the school?

Thanks

I would suggest sking the school. I've heard about fewer schools in various areas having lockers due to theft and vandalism issues. The school in question would be the best source, though.

[kodokan]

My son in a Mesa junior high has a locker AND the extra copies of books to bring home, so sounds like he has the best of both worlds! He's not allowed to carry his backpack to class, so it lives in the locker and he just takes what he needs for the next couple of classes, depending on their location respective to the lockers.

As besuits this climate, the locker back is actually outside under a shade roof, so they don't even need to clog up a corridor.