LAS VEGAS (AP) - Officials have banned backpacks at a Henderson high school in a move district officials say is meant to calm families and students jittery after recent shootings.

Foothill High School announced on its Facebook page that backpacks weren't permitted Friday, which is the last day of school before Christmas break.

District spokeswoman Melinda Malone clarified that students who brought backpacks wouldn't have them confiscated but would likely be searched.

The move comes as schools around the country remain on high alert and some have cancelled classes after a deadly mass shooting last Friday in Newtown, Conn. Other principals have cited buzz about the Mayan Apocalypse as fueling students' and parents' nerves.

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