How heavy is too heavy when it comes to backpacks?

Many students will strap on new backpacks full of supplies to return to school next week. But the American Occupational Therapy Association cautions parents to limit the weight kids carry on their back every day.

The organization, which hosts an annual national School Backpack Awareness Day in September, recommends limiting the weight of a backpack to no more than 10 percent of the child’s weight. But researchers have long found that students carry much more than that.

About 55 percent of students carry a backpack that is heavier than the recommended, according to the AOTA. Several parents in Rapides Parish voiced concern this week that their students carry much heavier loads than they should.

Staci Saucier sends her daughter to Phoenix Magnet Elementary School with a backpack on wheels to keep the weight off her child’s back. And she isn’t the only one going with a roller, according to parent comments on social media.

There are ways to lighten students’ loads at the school-level as well.

Students at Scott M. Brame Middle School don’t carry backpacks or use lockers, Principal Wally Fall said. He did away with both more than 10 years ago. His students in sixth through eighth grades carry their notebooks, paper, pencils and other supplies from class to class in trapper keepers.

He said the change not only took the stress off students’ backs, but it also removed temptation for students to take things that didn’t belong to them and hide them in their bags, an issue Fall was facing at the time. He carried the strategy through to lockers, which provided more instructional time during the day, he said.

Some schools, including Alexandria Middle Magnet School, address that “temptation” and other safety issues by requiring any backpacks to be clear or mesh.

But only about 15 percent of the middle-schoolers use them, Principal Monte’ Demars said. Those who do bring backpacks carry them from class to class as they do not use lockers. They’re not transporting heavy books, though.

“Our students don’t take textbooks home,” Demars said. “We have a classroom set. And we don’t use textbooks like we did when we were in school. We use them as a resource, not the main source.”

Teachers incorporate material from multiple books as well as websites, videos and more in their classes. If students are required to read a passage or complete work at home, teachers make copies and put together smaller packets to take home.

There are several reasons behind that, Demars said. Some students forget to return books, leading to extra cost to the district, but it also has to do with home life.

“We try not to load kids down with so much homework because families are different now,” he said, describing households with one parent or working parents that aren’t able to lead homework. “We try to give something to reinforce skills, not to learn them at home.”

Students also can help prevent their own back pain with AOTA strategies for packing and carrying a backpack. Children should always wear both shoulder straps to avoid putting too much weight on one side, and parents can teach their children to bend and lift from the knees instead of the waist when picking up their bags. For more information, visit www.aota.org.