TRACY SCHOOL BOARD OKS SEARCHING CAMPUSES WITH DOGS

TRACY - School board trustees voted Tuesday night to use trained
dogs to help keep drugs and alcohol out of the district's high schools.

The Tracy Unified School District Governing Board voted 6-0 in favor
of contracting with Modesto-based Kontraband Interdiction Detective
Services to conduct random campus searches. Trustee Gerry Machado
was not present, and the board approved the
staff-recommended deterrent without discussion.

Having the drug-and-alcohol sniffing dogs patrol classrooms, parking
lots and the areas around lockers will deter students from bringing
the substances to school, according to district staff.

And the impending sweeps can serve as an excuse for students who
might be tempted to succumb to peer pressure and carry or use the
substances on campus, said Rebecca Frame, Tracy Unified's director
of student services.

Lincoln and Escalon unified school districts use dogs from the
service on their campuses. Other districts in the county either
don't use the drug-sniffing dogs on campus, contract with a
different company or use local police dogs.