UNLEASH THE DOGS AT KHSD

Every year the Kern High School District expels about 500 students from
its schools for drug-related offenses.

That number amounts to a piddling 1.3 percent of the district's 37,000
students. At least some folks find it piddling. Some, like KHSD Trustee
Bob Hampton, apparently even find it acceptable.

He all but said as much with his abrupt dismissal of the suggestion by
Trustee Ken Mettler that the district bring drug-sniffing dogs on campuses
in a preemptive strike in the local war against drugs.

"The rules are (already) there for our campus supervisors," said Hampton
at the Jan. 7 board meeting. "To put a canine on campus just destroys
the educational atmosphere and placing individual responsibility on our
students is the way to go, rather than a canine."

By all means, let's bet student safety on the "individual responsibility"
of our teens, since that always works so well.

Mettler suggested, and will officially propose at Monday night's board
meeting, that the district implement a canine deterrent program, as
school districts have already done in cities like Los Angeles, San Diego,
Fresno, Delano, Taft and McFarland.

Mettler made the suggestion after returning from a "state-sanctioned
seminar, where taxpayers send us to get these ideas."

But for some, the mere suggestion of canines on campus conjures up images
of pop-eyed Dobermans or salivating Rottweilers, straining against their
leads as they stalk school corridors.

But the dogs used in campus programs, Metter says, are generally affable
breeds like Golden Retrievers, trained to "alert" on the scent of drugs,
alcohol and guns. Their on-campus presence, he says, will hardly
be noticed, as most searches of lockers and parking lots will be done
during class time.

It's then up to the school to decide whether to confront the student.
Should they choose to do so, and the student refuses to open his or her
locker, parents will be called to help find out why. Good grief,
I've experienced more intrusive searches at the Kern County courthouse,
yet this is what Hampton says will "destroy the educational atmosphere" of
our high schools.

Is he kidding? Because today's teens aren't. They're serious about their
drug and alcohol use, as most cognizant high school teachers or involved
parents can tell you.

Want to know what really destroys the educational atmosphere? On-campus
drug sales. Drug use, on or off campus. DUI arrests. And how about the
death of a classmate from a drug overdose? Think students find that
disturbing? Mine sure did.

It's not rocket science to figure out that the 500 students expelled each
year are the ones who happen to get caught. And a grasp of basic math
shows keeping just a fraction of those 500 in school will more than pay
for the program's estimated $55,000 annual cost.

Trustees, give students another reason to say no. Give parents and
teachers another way to protect their teens. Unleash the hounds. They have
work to do.