AKRON, Ohio – Students at Akron’s Firestone Community Learning Center will have to leave their beloved metal water bottles at home this year, according to a new school policy.
The policy prohibits students from bringing “large, opaque metal cups” such as popular Stanley, Yeti and Owala tumblers to school due to safety concerns, according to the district’s Director of Strategic Communications and Media, Stacey Hodoh.
“This is a building-specific change at Firestone CLC, enacted by the school’s administration to address specific and ongoing safety concerns. Guidelines regarding personal items can vary across the district as each principal assesses the unique needs of their school community,” Hodoh told cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer in an email.
Hodoh called the ban a proactive safety measure, citing an instance last year during which a teacher was injured during a fight when a metal water bottle was used as a weapon.
“The opaque nature of the cups creates significant delays in security screenings, as safety officers must manually check each bottle for prohibited items (cell phones, headphones, and other electronics that are, in general, a distraction from the learning environment),” Hodoh said.
Students are allowed to bring “clear, plastic or transparent drinking containers,” to school according to Hodoh. The ban does not apply to items like thermoses used for soup.
Students who bring restricted metal bottles/cups to school will have the item confiscated and returned at the end of the school day, according to Hodoh.
“The safety and security of our students will always be our number one priority,” Hodoh said. “While we recognize that this Firestone CLC decision may be inconvenient or unpopular to some, it was not made lightly and we appreciate your support in conveying this effort to our community.”