Pubdate: Thu, 22 Mar 2007
Source: Columbia Daily Tribune (MO)
Copyright: 2007 Columbia Daily Tribune
Contact:  http://www.columbiatribune.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/91
Note: Prints the street address of LTE writers.
Author: Janese Heavin
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

GROUP HITS AT DRUG USE IN SCHOOLS

Parents might have the final say over whether Columbia  Public 
Schools uses drug dogs to make sure students  aren't bringing illegal 
substances onto school grounds.

A school district task force charged with looking at  drug abuse in 
schools stopped short of recommending  drug dogs. Instead, the 
committee is asking the board  to continue studying whether the 
canines would be an  effective way to keep drugs off school grounds, 
Assistant Superintendent Lynn Barnett told the board  during a work 
session today at the District  Administration Building.

"The task force did not come to a consensus about drug  dogs," she 
said. Some members felt the dogs "would send  a clear message that we 
will not tolerate drugs on  campus, but others did not feel clear" 
that the dogs  would be a good idea.

Board member David Ballenger asked the district to send  surveys to 
parents to see what they think about using  dogs to check parking lots.

"I bet you most parents would like to see something  like that," he 
said. "We don't have enough personnel to  check every car, but we 
could certainly have a canine  out there."

The drug task force - a group of about 50 school and  community 
members who have been meeting for five months  - is recommending more 
programs and education to  alleviate drug abuse among students.

The committee would like to see the district allocate  $100,000 for 
school activities that would give students  something to do after 
school. The committee also  recommends providing one activity bus at 
all six middle  and junior high schools to transport students to and 
from these events.

Communication and education are also critical, Barnett  said. The 
task force recommends the district hire a  full-time employee to 
oversee an aggressive marketing  campaign, airing anti-drug messages 
on the district's  cable channel, mailing information to patrons and 
creating educational DVDs.

Although it wasn't a formal recommendation, Barnett  said one member 
of the task force suggested changing  the starting times at secondary 
schools. Middle, junior  and high schools now start the day earlier 
than  elementary schools. If secondary schools were to start  school 
later, sports and other after-school activities  would stretch later 
into the evening, leaving less idle  time for students. Research has 
shown that boredom is  one of the biggest contributors to drug and 
alcohol  abuse.

Board members said the community's attitude toward  marijuana might 
also contribute to drug problems among  teenagers.

"The local marijuana ordinance is really misleading,"  said Columbia 
police Officer Mark Brotemarkle, school  resource officer at Hickman 
High School. "A lot of  students think it's OK."

The ordinance makes possession of small amounts of  marijuana subject 
to a summons and a minor fine.

Board member Don Ludwig said the ordinance sends the  wrong message. 
He suggested the board pass a resolution  opposing the ordinance.

Implementing anti-drug programs might require more  local funding in 
the future. School officials are  anticipating federal funding from 
the Safe and Drug  Free Schools Act will dwindle in coming years. 
Columbia  now gets about $100,000 a year from that federal  program.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman