Prospect bans student bags, purses from football games

Prospect High School has adopted a new policy banning students from bringing purses, bags and backpacks to football games after some students complained that other students were engaged in covert drinking of alcoholic beverages at the games.

The policy takes effect tonight, and in advance of the game Associate Principal Greg Minter said there might be some confusion with people who hadn't gotten the word, but that he didn't expect the policy to be disruptive.

Ticket takers, security personnel and Mount Prospect police who normally monitor the gates will ask people in violation of the policy to put items in their cars or lockers. People can make a case they need the item for a specific purpose, such as to carry insulin. There is no plan to search bags. And adults are exempt from the policy.

"We're not going to be unrealistic or over the top with this," he said. "We're just trying to create a more safe environment."

Minter said the problem isn't a major one and hadn't really been noticed until mainly students and a few parents complained that people packed in the stands out of sight of security personnel were consuming alcoholic drinks, sometimes by putting them in water or Gatorade bottles. And security personnel found some alcohol containers in trash picked up after the games.

Word of the new policy has been spread through in-school announcements and automated e-mails and phone calls to students' homes. In response to 2,000 e-mails, Minter said he received positive feedback from 49 parents, with one raising questions about the new policy.

Policies at schools seem to vary depending on the problems encountered, Minter said, with some checking people with wands before they are admitted.

"We felt like we needed to take some steps that weren't too intrusive," he said.