DISTRICT DRAFTS DRUG POLICY SCHOOLS WANT UNIFIED RULES

CHAPEL HILL -- The Chapel Hill-Carrboro school district's approach to
substance abuse will soon be shaped into one, unified policy, instead
of the current hodgepodge of punishments that vary by school.

Under a draft policy, more would be done to root out problems --
including more drug-sniffing dogs and better surveillance of campus
haunts -- though the plan favors mediation rather than punishment in
many cases. With the school board's blessing, it would give middle
school offenders a clean slate when entering high school and steer
kids away from out-of-school suspensions.

After being reviewed by police, coaches, students, counselors and
others who might have a stake in its outcome, the draft will go before
the school board at 7 p.m. Thursday at Town Hall.

If approved, the proposal would toughen penalties at some schools and
loosen them in others. Currently, East Chapel Hill High School
athletes are instantly booted off teams when caught with drugs or
alcohol. At Chapel Hill High, it's up to the coach.

But the recommended policy takes the middle ground. Extracurricular
activities -- from sports to the chess club -- would be forbidden for
10 days. Two strikes would shut students out for 45 days.

Students caught with drugs or alcohol would also:

* Lose campus parking privileges for 90 days.

* Spend five days in Saturday school or in-school suspension.

* Stay suspended until a parent meets with school administrators.

* Develop a "personal accountability plan."

Among other measures, second offenses would get students suspended for
10 days. Third offenses would get them suspended for a semester,
though completing a drug treatment program could speed their return.
Students caught selling drugs would be suspended for the rest of the
school year or at least 90 days.

"There's always that conflict between wanting to make a point of
punishment and wanting to make sure that punishment is helpful and
healthy for kids," said Ruby Bugg, counselor at East Chapel Hill High
School.

Even off-campus trouble could follow students back to school. If cited
by police for drinking or using drugs, students could lose parking
privileges and places on school teams.

Students found smoking or carrying tobacco would be given more
leniency. They'd face three days of in-school suspension, though that
could be whittled down by attending "Alternative to Suspension" programs.

Those alternatives aren't yet spelled out, but the report contends
that putting nondangerous students out of school has "no educational
purpose" and is "of questionable personal benefit."

Adopting a new substance abuse policy is one of the board's top 10
goals this school year, though board Chairwoman Lisa Stuckey couldn't
speculate on when it might be approved or how her colleagues might
tweak it.

"We're still looking to find that appropriate balance between
education measures and punitive measures," Stuckey said.