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Orangeburg County schools require students to wear clear book bags

Orangeburg County Schools implemented a clear book bag policy for middle and high school students for the remainder of the school year.

ORANGEBURG, S.C. — Orangeburg County students traded their regular bookbags for clear ones Monday morning.

"Being safe and being secure is our number one priority," said Danita Ross, parent of an Orangeburg County School District student. "Materialistic things do not matter compared to your life."

That is the conversation Ross says she had with her two sons after the school district implemented a clear book bag protocol for all middle and high school students for the remainder of the school year.

"I feel like they are making good decisions to not only put parents at ease but other students who are watching the news or been at the high school when the incident took place," explained Ross. "It's also easing their minds because they can see there is nothing in the bookbags."

The decision comes after the shooting in August that injured three Orangeburg Wilkinson High students on campus. OW students had already been required to use clear bookbags since the incident, but the majority of the schools in the district will now follow suit.

RELATED: After shooting, students return to Orangeburg Wilkinson high school

Credit: Devin Johnson

RELATED: 'We'll continue to come together and work through this': Orangeburg school shooting wounds three students

The spokesperson for Orangeburg County School District told News 19 they ordered 6,800 clear book bags so students and parents won't have to buy one of their own. Ross believes her two boys will feel more at ease without worrying about a weapon being on campus.

"It makes him feel more comfortable because he can see that it is just books or pencils," expressed Ross.

Clear book bags will be required for all Orangeburg County School District students from Kindergarten through 12th grade next year. There's also a clear or no bag policy at all sporting events.

RELATED: 'This can't be real. Can it?': Student describes the moment shots were heard at Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School

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