San Antonio’s Southside ISD bans purses, bags at graduation in the wake of Uvalde tragedy

San Antonio’s Southside Independent School District has banned backpacks and purses at the class of 2022’s graduation ceremony at the Alamodome this Thursday, according to information shared on its website.

The district also recently announced that no purses or backpacks would be allowed on campus for the remainder of the school year following the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde that left 21 people dead.

Bags that adhere to the Alamodome’s Clear Bag Policy will be allowed into the downtown arena, according to Southside ISD’s announcement.  That includes small bags and clutches smaller than 5 inches tall and 8 inches long, transparent plastic bags and medically necessary sacks.

Other than stricter bag policies, officers from the San Antonio Police Department and Southside ISD’s police force will be present. K9 units will be sweeping the area for explosives, news site MySA reports.

The expansion in security protocols also comes after an elderly woman was fatally shot during a graduation ceremony in New Orleans and a slew of shootings at post-grad celebrations, including incidents in Alabama, Kansas and Tennessee.

Stay on top of San Antonio news and views. Sign up for our Weekly Headlines Newsletter.

This article appears in Jun 1-14, 2022.