ILLEGAL DRUGS IN SCHOOLS CAUSE ALARM

That illegal drugs are prevalent in all areas of many Rapides Parish public
schools is alarming although, sadly, not surprising.

That Superintendent Patsy Jenkins dragged her feet on providing requested
public information on that prevalence is also alarming. More on that later.

The School Board commissioned an Alexandria company to look for evidence of
illegal drugs in schools, and that work was paid for with tax money, let us
not forget.

But the information garnered from the work is what is disturbing. Traces of
illegal drugs ranging from heroin to marijuana were found not only in
students' lockers and other areas frequented by students, but they were als
o
found in areas not frequented by students.

It was striking that traces of illegal drugs were found in teacher lounges,
staff mailboxes and janitors' closets.

Now to be sure, that alone doesn't prove that schools are illegal drug
havens.

Law enforcement officials will tell you that a wallet with money in it will
show traces of illegal drugs. That's because money is circulated so widely.

This drug-presence report must be a wake-up call to school officials and
parents. There can be no hiding of heads in the sand in hopes that this
dangerous situation will just go away.

It has at least been implied that there are ongoing criminal investigations
as a result of the report. Those investigations must go on, and they must b
e
thorough.

Now, back to Jenkins and her initial refusal to hand over the
drug-in-schools report.

No matter how valid she thought her action was to prevent interference with
any criminal investigation, the issue is clear: She has no right to
determine what is and what isn't public record and ignore the law in doing
so. The law is perfectly clear on what is public record, and no one is abov
e
the law.

That she attempted to withhold some public information is disturbing,
especially when she was advised by District Attorney Jam Downs to turn over
information requested by The Town Talk.

That nothing would have happened had Jenkins stuck to her guns and refused
to release the public information is even more frightening.

While we criticize her for not being timely in providing what was public
record, we note that Jenkins did finally provide the information.

As worrisome is that Jenkins initially didn't consider that parents - and
taxpayers, too - deserved to know what is going on in their children's
schools.

It certainly should come as no shock that there are traces of illegal drugs
in schools. To think otherwise in this day and age would be na=EFve.

The question now is, of course, what to do about it.

Certainly school officials had to expect something along the lines of what
the report eventually showed, and so they should have some idea of what
action comes next.

Here is some good news for Jenkins: Any strategy devised to combat the
presence of illegal drugs in schools will not be a matter of public record.

But results of any action will be, especially if the result is criminal
prosecution.