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New school year, new policies in Scranton School District

One of the biggest changes in the district is no cell phones or electronic devices are allowed on school grounds.

SCRANTON, Pa. — A new school year, new policies, and added security measures are set to begin in the Scranton School District.

One of the biggest changes is no cell phones or electronic devices are allowed on school grounds — something West Scranton parent Jennifer Brown worries could affect her son's safety.

"As a parent of a teenager that goes to sports after school, I should be able to get ahold of him during the day, and God forbid if there was a threat or anything, I should be able to contact him and know where he is," said Brown.

The district also made changes to the rules for backpacks. Students can only use backpacks or bags that are made of clear plastic or of mesh that can be see-through.

Rachel Scotch has two boys heading to new schools in the district. Finding the right kind of bag for her younger son posed an expensive challenge.

"I had to get this one a mesh backpack because he never needed one before. Comparing to when I bought my other son one a few years ago, it's like $35 more, which is crazy," said Scotch.

Jeremiah Aires is entering his senior year at Scranton High School and while these changes may cause some inconvenience, Aires believes that's a small price to pay.

"I feel like it will make a lot more people comfortable too. They have been wanting to learn, and they can't cause a lot of distractions and stuff now it's gonna come back into more of a controlled zone. I don't know I feel like it's needed," said Aires.

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