Anonymous
Post 02/21/2026 08:40     Subject: Why aren’t lockers being used in middle and high schools?
Your kid will be FINE carrying their computer, a binder, and a lunch box.

They don't need a giant water bottle, and it is not a hardship for them to have to carry a few things, visit their lockers between classes, or have to actually walk to class instead of socializing in the halls.

Anonymous
Post 02/21/2026 08:36     Subject: Why aren’t lockers being used in middle and high schools?
I work in a high school and lockers previously weren’t used, but are now available by request. It’s a mess. The kids use the lockers as an excuse for everything. They’re late? Couldn’t get the locker open. Walking the hallway in the middle of class? On their way to the locker for something they urgently need. I wish they would get rid of them.

I grew up in a giant school with no locker use, and that was in the days of carrying text books. We were allowed to leave jackets in homeroom (there were cabinet/closets) but bags stayed with us.
Anonymous
Post 02/21/2026 08:25     Subject: Why aren’t lockers being used in middle and high schools?
Anonymous wrote:My kids go to Rachel Carson and they not only are assigned lockers, but they are not allowed to bring backpacks to class.



My child went to Carson and it was glorious. Then they got to high school and it was the complete opposite. Brace yourself.
Anonymous
Post 02/21/2026 07:42     Subject: Re:Why aren’t lockers being used in middle and high schools?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:At Carson, the kids have to use their lockers because they aren't allowed to carry backpacks between classes.


Yes! The kids have to carry their binders, laptop, pencil pouches and headphones and stuff falls all the time. It sucks.
+1 Plus, the giant water bottle. Or, Stanley Cup!


Yes, the water bottle too. Looking forward to high school where kids can take backpacks around and not be forced to go their locker all day long. Much easier.

You're insane. My kid is able to fit everything she needs in her binder. Buy a pencil pouch that fits in the binder. Buy a binder that has a sleeve for the laptop. Try problem solving, mommies!!!
Anonymous
Post 02/21/2026 07:33     Subject: Why aren’t lockers being used in middle and high schools?
My kids go to Rachel Carson and they not only are assigned lockers, but they are not allowed to bring backpacks to class.
Anonymous
Post 02/21/2026 07:31     Subject: Why aren’t lockers being used in middle and high schools?
There is no way kids would have time to go to lockers between any classes. We have 8 minutes between classes and it takes almost that long to walk from one end of the building to the other, or god forbid, out to a trailer. I'm not sure if that's why they stopped using them or the cause-effect is reversed, but they did stop using them a few years back. Then they just took them all out because no one wanted one.

They've adapted by never wearing coats and not bringing any notebooks or supplies to class. It's been one more thing that sucks about education.
Anonymous
Post 02/21/2026 07:09     Subject: Why aren’t lockers being used in middle and high schools?
Anonymous wrote:My kid's back looks more hunched by the day (binders, laptop, spirals, instrument, sports bag, water, lunch, sneakers, etc). And yes, now kids are stowing things in random classrooms until they need them after school. With all of these people on the school board, countless school administrators, and the $ in this district, is it too much to consider the literal burden on these kids' backs every day? Please figure this out. Instead, they bring in service animals to pet for a mental health break. 🙄


Why do they have spirals and binders?
Anonymous
Post 02/21/2026 06:52     Subject: Why aren’t lockers being used in middle and high schools?
How does a backpack fit on the lockers?? Our high school lockers are so narrow there is no way. My DD drives and a bunch of her friends drop bags off at her car
Anonymous
Post 02/20/2026 21:38     Subject: Because of money
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Because schools are too big and when you have a few minutes between classes to go to the other side of the building, and maybe use a bathroom, you can't also go to your locker.


^^ It's this. My child plays 2 sports, soccer and basektball, and still won't use a locker because it's out of the way. He leaves his bags in the classroom of a teacher that is either his last class or nearest to where he has to go for soccer and basketball
Anonymous
Post 02/24/2024 23:24     Subject: Why aren’t lockers being used in middle and high schools?
DD’s school assigns lockers. She has never used them. There is just not enough time. As it is, on days where she has her instrument, she has to leave her final period early to go pick it up and make it to the bus. She has still missed the bus three times.
Anonymous
Post 02/24/2024 17:15     Subject: Why aren’t lockers being used in middle and high schools?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kid's back looks more hunched by the day (binders, laptop, spirals, instrument, sports bag, water, lunch, sneakers, etc). And yes, now kids are stowing things in random classrooms until they need them after school. With all of these people on the school board, countless school administrators, and the $ in this district, is it too much to consider the literal burden on these kids' backs every day? Please figure this out. Instead, they bring in service animals to pet for a mental health break. 🙄


And I'm sure you as a parent will be pissed if those items disappear during the day. It is not the teacher's responsibility to store random items for dozens of kids.

My kid plays two Varsity sports (obviously in two different seasons) and has never once hauled her sports bag all over the school, nor has she ever left her belongings in a random teacher's classroom until she needs them after school.


I certainly won't be happy if things go missing. And I agree that this shouldn't fall on teachers. I don't understand your post. Where is your kid's sports bag all day?


She waits after school to give it to him, of course! The refusal to provide lockers is just ridiculous. They treat these kids like criminals. Cooper Middle School is in the poshest area of McLean and they seem to think that all the kids are drug dealing gangsters one step away from prison.
Anonymous
Post 02/24/2024 16:45     Subject: Why aren’t lockers being used in middle and high schools?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kid's back looks more hunched by the day (binders, laptop, spirals, instrument, sports bag, water, lunch, sneakers, etc). And yes, now kids are stowing things in random classrooms until they need them after school. With all of these people on the school board, countless school administrators, and the $ in this district, is it too much to consider the literal burden on these kids' backs every day? Please figure this out. Instead, they bring in service animals to pet for a mental health break. 🙄


And I'm sure you as a parent will be pissed if those items disappear during the day. It is not the teacher's responsibility to store random items for dozens of kids.

My kid plays two Varsity sports (obviously in two different seasons) and has never once hauled her sports bag all over the school, nor has she ever left her belongings in a random teacher's classroom until she needs them after school.


I certainly won't be happy if things go missing. And I agree that this shouldn't fall on teachers. I don't understand your post. Where is your kid's sports bag all day?
Anonymous
Post 02/24/2024 12:47     Subject: Why aren’t lockers being used in middle and high schools?
Anonymous wrote:My kid's back looks more hunched by the day (binders, laptop, spirals, instrument, sports bag, water, lunch, sneakers, etc). And yes, now kids are stowing things in random classrooms until they need them after school. With all of these people on the school board, countless school administrators, and the $ in this district, is it too much to consider the literal burden on these kids' backs every day? Please figure this out. Instead, they bring in service animals to pet for a mental health break. 🙄


And I'm sure you as a parent will be pissed if those items disappear during the day. It is not the teacher's responsibility to store random items for dozens of kids.

My kid plays two Varsity sports (obviously in two different seasons) and has never once hauled her sports bag all over the school, nor has she ever left her belongings in a random teacher's classroom until she needs them after school.
Anonymous
Post 02/24/2024 01:02     Subject: Why aren’t lockers being used in middle and high schools?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Because schools are too big and when you have a few minutes between classes to go to the other side of the building, and maybe use a bathroom, you can't also go to your locker.


What? I don’t get it.

I went to a FCPS middle and high school in the 90’s. We also had just a few minutes to get to our next class but we still used our lockers!



Some high schools are larger than others.


My high school had about 600 students in each class! It was not small 😊


Perhaps the layout of the school and/or lockers was different so it was easier to go to them? Why aren’t you able to understand that may not be the case for some schools? Some kids truly don’t have enough time to go to their lockers between each class so they need their backpacks with them to carry multiple binders, laptops, lunch etc. to get to class on time.

Name a school that is too big? It’s like you are having a hard time understanding that kids and their schedules are flexible and varying. And every school layout allows for the use of lockers in a reasonable way, just not 100% of the time. Sometimes you have two classes on a far end of the building and for those two classes you bring materials for both classes. And on those days you only go to your locker once or twice because you don’t have time. It’s about options, not right or wrong.


You clearly didn’t read my post and just want to argue. I said some kids don’t have time to go to lockers in between EACH class. I didn’t say they shouldn’t be assigned a locker or that there would never be a time to go to their locker at all (I would think at least once in the am to drop coat off and at the end of the day before the bus).

I also said the layout of the school makes a difference in how often students can go to their lockers. For example, back in the 90s South Lakes had 4 different sub schools. Each class (ie. freshman, sophomore) was clustered in one sub school and that’s where their lockers, bathrooms, admin, and most of their classes were. The lockers and classes were in fairly close proximity within the sub school. It is not like this at other high schools that don’t have sub schools.
Anonymous
Post 02/24/2024 00:23     Subject: Why aren’t lockers being used in middle and high schools?
My kid's back looks more hunched by the day (binders, laptop, spirals, instrument, sports bag, water, lunch, sneakers, etc). And yes, now kids are stowing things in random classrooms until they need them after school. With all of these people on the school board, countless school administrators, and the $ in this district, is it too much to consider the literal burden on these kids' backs every day? Please figure this out. Instead, they bring in service animals to pet for a mental health break. 🙄