Board Policy
5115
Substance
Abuse Policy
Rationale
The Ironton City Board of
Education recognizes that substance abuse is a serious societal problem, and
that the use of chemical and other substances inhibits the achievement of the
overall goals of the school system. The
medical, physical and emotional problems created by the use of and dependency
on chemical substances interferes with learning, development and the safety of
students.
The Board expresses a desire to
work with the home and community agencies to create a school environment free
of chemical use, abuse and dependency within the student/staff environment.
The Board reaffirms its policy
that students determined to possess, use or sell chemical substances may be
suspended and/or recommended for expulsion, as outlined in this policy. However, the school system also affirms its
desire to offer assistance to chemically dependent students and their concerned
families in seeking treatment.
Rehabilitation measures taken by the schools shall begin with counseling
and extend to referral to appropriate outside agencies, including treatment
centers and the courts.
In order to facilitate such
rehabilitation, the Administration will identify a team of key staff members to
develop appropriate strategies and procedures to fulfill the schools'
responsibility as enumerated herein.
And, with the funds available, staff and students as well as other
interested persons will be encouraged to develop skills for identifying and working
with students who have alcohol, drug use and dependency problems. Such training may include seminars,
assemblies, workshops and other.
The Ironton City Board of
Education believes that education offers the most effective means of combating
this potentially deadly drug abuse problem.
The Board is also well aware of the fact that the problems associated
with substance use and abuse are not created by the school, but rather, are
problems brought to the school, and that the search for solutions need to be
approached by society as a whole, rather than by one institution. The Board therefore encourages and supports
the sharing of approaches and programs with and among other districts and other
agencies and institutions.
Program
Goals
1.
To
increase the school/community awareness about chemical abuse and dependency as
a problem that is shared by everyone, with emphasis on prevention.
2.
To
develop a climate that will foster the early and effective intervention into
the abuse and dependency process.
3.
To
build a team of personnel to work on chemical abuse, dependency and prevention
issues.
4.
To
develop a network of support in areas of referral and/or treatment.
5.
To
provide and/or coordinate the necessary support to aid in recovery.
6.
To
develop an age-appropriate comprehensive curriculum to inform students of the
harmful effects of drug abuse.
Adopted:
8-20-73
Revised:
1-12-81, 2-05-90, 8-11-94
Definition
of Terms
1. Student - any person
enrolled in any Ironton Public School.
2. Drug of Abuse - alcoholic
beverage, any narcotic drug; barbiturate, amphetamine, hallucinogen,
counterfeit drugs, or any harmful intoxicant.
3. Trafficking - includes sale,
barter, exchange, gift or offer therefore, and each such transaction made by
any person.
4. Dispense - meant to sell,
distribute, leave with, give away, dispose of, or deliver.
5. School Property - immediate
school buildings and grounds and/or school buses.
Definition
of Illegal Drug Activities
No
student while on school property or while attending a school function shall
have in his/her possession any drug of abuse, including alcoholic
beverage.
No
student while on school property or while attending a school function shall be
found to be under the influence of any drug of abuse, including the alcoholic
beverage.
No
student while on school property or while attending a school function shall traffic
any drug of abuse.
Any
student under doctor's orders and possessing a valid prescription for
medication for which possession is prohibited, shall register such
prescriptions and doctor's orders at the office of the school, which he/she
attends. Failure to register as herein
required shall constitute a waiver of the student's right to be in possession
of any drug of abuse.
Disciplinary
Procedure
Possession
and Influence
First
Offense
Any student, while on school
property or while attending a school function found to be in the possession of,
or under the influence of any Drug of Abuse shall be suspended from school and
prohibited from attending school events for a period of five (5) days for the
first offense. The five (5) days will
be an automatic suspension. In the case
of a misdemeanor, the student then has the option of accepting a drug
assessment by an approved agency or as an alternative have the school
principal, file a delinquency charge with the juvenile court.
The core team will provide
follow-up and monitor the student's progress.
Second
Offense
For the second offense the
suspension shall be an automatic ten (10) days and a drug assessment by an
approved agency shall be mandatory before returning to school.
Third
Offense
For the third offense the
student shall be expelled from school for the maximum time allowed by the Ohio
Revised Code.
Trafficking
of Drugs or Counterfeit Drugs
First
Offense
Any student, while on school
property or while attending a school function, found to be trafficking in any
drugs of abuse or counterfeit drugs will be expelled from school for the
maximum time allowed by the Ohio Revised Code.
* All penalties herein imposed shall be in
addition to any penalties that may be imposed by courts of competent
jurisdiction.
Reporting
Procedure
Whenever a building principal
receives information that he deems reliable that a pupil is involved in the possession,
use, sale, transfer, purchase or acceptance of illegal drugs under the
jurisdiction of the school, he shall immediately undertake a preliminary
investigation. If, in his judgment, the
information is reliable, he shall notify the pupil's parents or guardian, the
local law enforcement authorities, and the superintendent; and he shall place
such pupil under suspension pending the outcome of the investigation.
Intervention
Procedures for Staff
When a staff member suspects
chemical use or dependency due to certain behaviors or patterns shown by a
student, a referral to the core team chairperson will be completed. Referrals may also be received from parents,
other students, or concerned community members.
1. The core team chairperson or
designee will distribute tracking forms to all teachers on the student's
schedule. This form shall be a
behavioral observation checklist to gather data on the student. It is not to be used as an accusation or an
opinion poll, but rather a simple method of recording actual observed behavior.
2. After tracking forms are returned
to the core team chairperson, taking necessary steps to protect
confidentiality, the core team shall review the data. After reviewing the information, the following may occur:
a. no action - insufficient data to make a decision;
b. further collection of data and follow-up; or
c. conference with parents/guardians to discuss
behavior. An assessment will be
arranged if needed. The Core Team will
monitor progress.
Providing
Assistance and Support
1. After assessment, action will be
taken based on the results and recommendations from the assessment. These actions may include:
a. counseling contract with student - a minimum of five (5)
counseling sessions either in or out of school. At least one of the sessions shall include the parents/guardians.
b. inclusion of the student into the school-based insight
group. The student shall participate in
the insight group for a minimum of six (6) weeks. The student shall also be required to sign a no-use contract
prior to admission into the group.
Parental permission shall be obtained for participation.
c. referral to an outside agency for counseling, outpatient
treatment or inpatient residential treatment.
2. Upon reentry of any student completing
treatment, that student shall be included in the school-based student support
group. This will be an essential
component in the recovery process.
3. Follow-ups will be completed
periodically and progress monitored.
Further support services will be developed as needed.
The
School Core Teams
The school core team shall
consist of a minimum of five (5) staff members: a counselor, principal (or
designee), and three trained staff members.
More staff members may be included as part of the core teams as they
receive training. The core team shall
elect the chairperson. The core team
shall implement procedures to insure confidentiality of information.
All information gathered by the
core team is confidential and shall not be made available to anyone except
other core team members, the principal and counselors on a need-to-know
basis. Upon written request, parents or
guardians will be supplied with such information. Information will not be released to outside agencies without
written authorization from parents or guardian.
Meeting times and frequency will
be determined at the local school level.
Every effort should be made to have a set day and time for core team
meetings. Adjustments should be made as
necessary to best meet the needs of the student and staff.
A core team is to be organized
at each school, including the junior and senior high schools and all elementary
schools.
The core team functions at the
elementary schools would be to organize and promote anti-drug activities within
that school and community.
Dissemination
of Policy
This policy shall be
disseminated to students and parents by incorporating it into the student
handbook at each school. This
dissemination shall include notification to students and parents that compliance
with the standards of conduct as enumerated in this policy is mandatory.
Adopted:
8-20-73
Revised:
1-12-81, 2-05-90, 8-11-94