Pubdate: Thu, 22 Dec 2005
Source: Monroe Times (WI)
Copyright: 2005 Monroe Publishing LLC
Contact:  http://www.themonroetimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4064
Author: Ellen Williams-Masson
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

DRUGS AND DISCIPLINE PERSIST AS TOP CONCERNS

BELLEVILLE -- Drugs and discipline are major issues at Belleville High 
School, according to some parents who say that there is too little of the 
latter and far too much of the former in their children's education.

"My bigger concern is the drug and alcohol issue," Jayne Campbell, mother 
of two children raised in the school district, said. "It's most upsetting 
to me that Superintendent (Randy) Freese put out an article stating that 
our kids are smart and make wise choices, so they don't do these things. 
You know which kids are the drug users because you find out from the other 
kids."

The Belleville administration began requesting routine drug sweeps by the 
Dane County Sheriff's Department canine unit last spring. The two sweeps 
conducted so far, the first of which was prefaced by a letter to parents, 
failed to turn up any evidence of drugs on the school campus. While 
reassured by the clean report, no one believes that the district is 
completely in the clear.

"I'd be lying if I said that there's no drug issue whatsoever," Belleville 
High School Principal Rick Conroy said. "No school has no problem, but the 
kids know we're serious about it and don't want drugs here. I think the 
drug culture has waned but it's still present."

Chatting with students suggests there are still plenty of substance abusers 
in the school, and the kids know who is toking up. Sophomore Paige Laflash 
said that she's seen evidence of drug use among the high school population 
but doesn't think Belleville is worse than the average small town.

"I think a lot of people use drugs here," she said. "A lot of the younger 
kids, like freshmen, use drugs more and more these days. I have friends in 
other towns and some schools are bad."

Rumors but little substantive evidence frustrates Belleville Police Chief 
Roger Hillebrand, who is also a member of the Belleville School Board.

"I believe we have availability of drugs because we're near the city of 
Madison," he said. "Are there some kids using and drinking? Yes. Is it a 
substantial problem? Not that has been proven to us."

The Belleville Police Department reports charging five adults and four 
juveniles with drug possession in 2005. Drunk driving citations have more 
than doubled, from nine in 2004 to 20 in 2005. Of those charged for 
underage drinking, two were minors under the age of 18 and four were adults 
under the legal drinking age of 21.

Lack of discipline in the classrooms and on buses also concerns parents. Of 
several active and retired teachers contacted, none were willing to discuss 
the topic of school discipline, but graduating seniors in an exit survey 
last spring cited discipline and drug use as among their top concerns.

According to figures published in the July 20 edition of the Belleville 
Recorder, 49 percent of the graduating seniors who participated in the 
face-to-face interviews believed that Belleville High School students have 
alcohol or drug problems, and 71 percent said students are not well behaved 
in class.

Parents have suggested off the record that the lack of discipline in the 
classroom contributes to the high levels of D's and F's that have become a 
Belleville School legacy. Although there have been some improvements in 
grades in the last couple of years, more than a third of freshmen and 
almost two-thirds of sophomores brought home at least one grade below C 
during the first term this fall.

Jackie Watkins, mother of two children in the Belleville School District, 
said she is happy with the education her children have received in 
Belleville but is concerned about safety on the school buses.

"We are on the route for Bus 25, the worst bus in the district, and there's 
hitting, spitting and fighting," she said. "We've had a student bring a 
knife on the bus, someone setting fire to a seat and a window got broken. 
One mother said that kind of stuff went on when we were in school, but it's 
worse now."
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