FOLEY MIGHT CUT D.A.R.E. PROGRAM

FOLEY -- Leaders of the Foley public schools are considering dropping
D.A.R.E. from their curriculum for next fall.

School district budget cuts are behind the move.

The thought of cutting the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program has
drawn opposition from law enforcement officers and some students, including
one who is starting a petition drive in an effort to keep the program.

"It had such a huge effect on me," said Jessica Garceau, a 16-year-old
sophomore at Foley High School who plans to start circulating the petitions
next week. "It was the way it was taught to me. It was heavy on
participation and was almost like a life-skills class."

Foley Superintendent Fred Nolan said cutting the program would save the
district about $11,700 a year. The district is trying to cut about $225,000
from its almost $12 million budget. In all, the district needs to cut $1.3
million in a three-year period, Nolan said.

The reductions partially come because of a failed levy that would have
provided $514,000 a year for 10 years. Nolan said the elimination of the
D.A.R.E. program was identified to voters as a possibility if the levy failed.

"We believe that the while the D.A.R.E. program is a good one, it's about a
third of the cost of a classroom teacher," Nolan said.

New approach

Several school districts in Minnesota dropped the D.A.R.E. program from
their curriculum in the past few years, partially because of budget cuts.
St. Cloud school district cut the program last year, in part to save money
and in part because of a change in philosophy. The program was replaced by
a similar program called Project Alert.

Nolan said the schools would keep a drug-prevention curriculum. Instead of
having a law enforcement officer teach the class, the district would teach
the curriculum as part of health class, he said. A committee is working out
the details of a replacement curriculum, he said.

But losing positive interaction between officers and police worries law
enforcement officials.

"Even if we just turn one kid around, then it's worth it to me," Sheriff
Jim McMahon said. "It's like preventative patrolling. You don't know if you
chased a burglar away from a building, but I'm sure it happens just by
being out there."

The D.A.R.E. program typically consists of lessons intended to help
students develop skills to resist drugs, alcohol and violence. The program
is taught in fifth grade in Foley schools, said Deputy Nicholas Baden, who
handles the program for the Benton County Sheriff's Department. It's been
taught in Foley schools for 12 years, he said.

"It opens the eyes of an 11- or 12-year-old," Baden said. "It teaches them
that choices have consequences and that those consequences can't always be
controlled. But you do have control over your choices."

Mixed studies

Findings from studies on the effectiveness of D.A.R.E. have been mixed,
with some saying it works and others questioning its effectiveness.

McMahon, Baden and Garceau said they believe the program has made a
difference in students' choices. They also believe the interaction students
have with the officer is invaluable.

The difference that Garceau sees in her friends who have gone through the
program is part of the reason she is starting a petition drive to keep
D.A.R.E., she said. "It stuck out for me," she said. "I've always been
chemical-free. And I know a lot of people who it affected."

What's next

Superintendent Fred Nolan said he will propose eliminating the D.A.R.E.
program from Foley schools when he pitches recommended budget cuts at the
March 22 school board meeting.

A public hearing is planned on the proposed cuts. They're scheduled for 7
p.m. April 5 at the Foley Intermediate School.

The school board is expected to act on the cuts at its April 12 meeting.