CALAIS TO CONSIDER DRUG, ALCOHOL POLICY

CALAIS - Area residents concerned about a drug problem that exists among
the city's youth are urged to attend a Drug and Alcohol Policy meeting
scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday night in the multipurpose room at the
elementary school.

Earlier this month the school committee, faced with a growing concern about
drug use by children, appointed school committee members Tracy DeWitt and
Nancy Gillis to form a committee to draft a new drug policy for the city's
three schools.

The committee will include a cross section of professional and business
people as well as staff members. Anyone interested in joining the committee
should attend Monday's meeting, but all residents are encouraged to attend
to provide input.

The school committee members agreed that the problem isn't restricted to
high school students and that a schoolwide policy should be developed.

The school department currently has a high school academic policy and a
high school athletic policy which address drug and alcohol use.

The academic policy included in the student handbook says that any student
caught smoking or using drugs or alcohol on school property will be
suspended for 10 days with an automatic expulsion hearing before the school
committee.

The athletic policy states that any athlete who is caught using drugs or
alcohol will be suspended for two weeks and be required to meet with a
substance abuse counselor.

DeWitt and Gillis said they believe the meeting Monday night would present
an excellent opportunity for parents to air their concerns. "We've got to
be a support system for the families in this community so they can get the
help that they need", DeWitt said. "We are going to work together in a very
firm accountable way, but in a very supportive way as well".

There have been suggestions that the school committee adopt a zero
tolerance policy.

"Doing that doesn't solve anything", DeWitt said. "That just brings the
hammer down on kids. ... Hopefully the committee will make recommendations
to the school board so [these policies] can be revised, and we'll have a
real secure foundation for the staff to work from ... and the students will
know exactly where they stand".

Gillis said the committee would review the current policies and come up
with a single policy that would be applicable to all students. She agreed
with DeWitt that any policy should include a means of helping the students.

"If there is a problem, and it's recognized, we should help them, not just
throw them out of school", she said. The school committee member said she
hoped even people who were not interested in serving on the committee would
attend the meeting and share their concerns.

"This is an information-gathering meeting. We want to hear what the public
has to say", Gillis said.

DeWitt said the committee would have an open-door policy and everyone is
welcome to attend meetings or join the committee after it is formed.