DRUGS IN SCHOOLS CAN'T BE TOLERATED

Protecting individual rights from an overzealous government is one of the
bedrocks of our nation. The failure rate of governments that have tried to
dominate its citizenry through fear and intimidation is well documented.

So while the decision by the Eau Claire School District to have drug dogs
periodically sniff around the parking lots of Memorial and North high
schools may strike some as going too far, the action is reasonable in the
community's efforts to keep school property free of illegal drugs.

A search was done in the parking lots of both high schools on Tuesday,
April 24. In a letter sent home to parents, principals Tom Fiedler of North
and Tim Leibham of Memorial explained that the checks would be done
periodically in the future and will be expanded to include lockers and
classrooms. The obvious goal, the letter said, is to "lessen the amount of
illegal drugs that exist on our campuses."

Few of us need to be reminded that our public school system is Eau Claire's
largest annual monetary investment. When we're asked by friends and
relatives in other places about Eau Claire's assets, two things that are at
or near the top of most lists are that we live in a safe city with good
schools. Incidentally, the quality of our facilities will give us even more
bragging rights as major renovations are completed at the two high schools.

It makes sense to protect this multi-million-dollar investment by doing
everything legally possible to ensure that the overwhelming majority of
students who come to Memorial and North every day to learn aren't exposed
to or otherwise confronted by illegal drug use. The message needs to be
clear and firm that when we say our schools are drug-free zones that we
mean it, and those who don't think the community is serious about that
claim are mistaken.

Some students may gaze out into the parking lots and think the whole thing
is an overreaction or at least a sad commentary on a society with so much
going for it that we need drug-sniffing dogs in the parking lots and police
liaison officers in the hallways of our schools.

It would be nice if we didn't have to spend time and money on such things,
but the local school administration didn't invent the social problems that
led to their recent action; they're just trying to deal with it in a legal
but firm manner. At least we haven't had to resort to metal detectors and
other more stringent security measures that steal a little freedom from all
of us.

There is a solution for those who think this is overkill. That is, don't
take drugs to school. The best advice is to not mess with them at all, but
those of you who choose to do so would be wise to at least not drive to
school with drugs in your cars. Don't put them in your lockers. Don't bring
them to class. Don't use them in the restrooms. And don't think school
officials and the taxpayers of this community aren't serious about keeping
our schools drug-free and making all efforts to protect the students and staff.

The best scenario is that sometime down the road the sweeps will turn up
nothing and they can become less frequent. But if there was no problem,
school officials wouldn't be asking police to embark on this program in the
first place.

- -- Don Huebscher, editor