Pubdate: Fri, 16 Nov 2007
Source: Hartford Courant (CT)
Copyright: 2007 The Hartford Courant
Contact:  http://www.courant.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/183
Author: Penelope Overton
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?237 (Drug Dogs)

SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES K-9 SEARCHES

Panel Also Sets Policy To Crack Down On Absences

EAST HADDAM -- - With little fanfare, the board of  education voted 
this week to allow the use of  police-trained dogs to detect drugs, 
alcohol and  tobacco on school grounds, and adopted a new attendance 
policy that will crack down on excused absences.

The new policies will be added to the student handbook  and go into 
effect in January. There was no discussion  before the board 
unanimously approved both policies,  which were lumped in with such 
mundane items as the  dates of next year's board meetings.

"The community is determined to do everything we can to  prevent drug 
and alcohol use, and this is just one more  tool for us to do that," 
Superintendent Ellen Solek  said. "Drug use is actually going down 
among our  students, but awareness of the issue is going way up."

The new drug and alcohol policy will allow the  administration to 
call on local police to use  drug-sniffing dogs for both targeted and 
random  searches on school property, including cars, lockers  and 
desks. The dogs also can search for bombs.

Under the new policy, the administration can call in  the police dogs 
if it believes drugs, alcohol or  tobacco are on school grounds. In 
such a targeted  search, the individual who is responsible for the 
area  in question will be notified, but does not have to be  present.

The policy also allows for random, off-hours drug-dog  sweeps. Solek 
said administrators did not know how  often they would call for such 
random searches.

In the past, a principal who suspected a student had  drugs in school 
conducted the search, which was usually  witnessed by the student. 
The search had to be limited  to school property, such as a locker. 
To search  personal property, like a purse, a student's 
permission  was required.

The drug-dog policy does not change the district's  policy of 
informing the police of all drugs, alcohol  and tobacco use or 
possession in the school or the  discipline that awaits a student 
found in violation of  the district's policies, Solek said.

The new attendance policy will deny course credit to  habitually 
absent high schoolers -- five times in a  half-year course or 10 
times from a yearlong course --  even if the parents send in notes to 
excuse the  absences. A student who cuts two classes would also  lose credit.

The policy allows the student to appeal a credit loss  to a review 
board made up of a school nurse, a teacher,  a counselor and the 
assistant principal. At that time,  the family can document the 
student's excused absences  and request credit restoration.

The list of excusable absences includes documented  illness, funeral, 
religious observance,  school-sponsored activities, court appearance, 
a  college or military visit, school suspension, field  trips or 
mandated counseling.

A family vacation, however, is not on the list.

High school Principal Linda Dadonna requested the new  policy to 
close a loophole allowing parents to send in  notes to excuse student 
absences for almost anything,  even a "hangnail." The board nixed the 
idea of  eliminating excused absences altogether.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom