CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education has approved a request to auction off 46,000 clear backpacks purchased by the district earlier this school year.
In Tuesday’s board meeting, leaders decided the online auction would be held at the end of June or in early July.
The book bags were listed among dozens of items the district will sell as surplus property.
[ READ MORE: CMS’ clear backpacks head to auction; here’s how to buy one ]
CMS sent Channel 9 a statement regarding the recommendation:
“After exhausting options for return and resell, the superintendent’s recommendation to the Board of Education on Tuesday is dispersion of the inventory in surplus auction. The item can be found in the consent agenda in board documents.”
MORE PREVIOUS COVERAGE
- Clear backpacks will not be distributed to CMS students this year
- CMS slates 2 schools to test clear backpacks; district updates its security measures
- Students react to clear backpack policy at Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools
- CMS high school students to start wearing clear backpacks soon
CMS had previously announced that the district was pausing the distribution of its clear backpacks because of concerns with Proposition 65 warning tags attached to them.
Earlier this month, the district told Channel 9 the clear backpacks would not be distributed at all during the 2021-2022 school year. Students got out of school last Wednesday.
Prop 65 is for California residents and “requires businesses to provide warnings to Californians about significant exposures to chemicals that cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm.”
The company that made the backpacks, AD Sutton, told Channel 9 the warning only applies to California and that the tags can be removed.
The district spent more than $440,000 on clear backpacks in an attempt to improve security at schools.
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