DRUG DOGS MAY VISIT COAST UNIFIED

Trustees Will Consider The Proposal At Meeting Thursday Night

Cambria - Coast Unified could become the third school district in the county
to start using a dog to sniff out drugs and weapons on campus.

Trustees will take up the issue Thursday night, and Superintendent Pamela
Martens said it has the support of the board. So-called "drug dogs" already
are used in the South County's Lucia Mar district and Templeton trustees
last week gave preliminary approval for administrators to pursue such a plan.

Martens said the idea was endorsed last spring by the district's Rules
Committee, a group of about 25 people that includes administrators,
teachers, students, parents and other community members. Like Templeton
Superintendent Curt Dubost, she called the measure a proactive way to
discourage students from bringing drugs or weapons on campus.

"We want to create a safe environment for all students," Martens said.

If approved, a dog would make five visits a year to both Santa Lucia Middle
School and Coast Union High School, she said. The estimated annual cost of
the program is $1,250, which she said would come from the general fund.

Martens said the majority of the community supports the concept.

"It's not anything that's going to hurt our kids," said parent Kelly
Johnson, a member of the Rules Committee. "It's going to make them feel
safer."(P) Johnson said the support from the plan comes from parents who are
heavily involved in their children's extracurricular school activities and
that opponents are generally less actively involved at the school.

"A lot of people believe we have a major drug problem at the high school,"
said Johnson, who is hoping that having the dogs visit the campuses will
disprove that. "This is one way to get rid of that (idea)."

Parent Laura Rummel-Kendrick, also a committee member, echoed those comments.

"For the safety of the community ... it's a great idea," she said.

The students on the committee also were supportive, Rummel-Kendrick said.
She acknowledges that some people in the community will not approve of the
measure, but she called it necessary in the wake of school shootings this
past year around the country.

"People are opening their eyes," she said. "It can happen to us."

The image of people closing their eyes is a more appropriate image for Hank
Alberts, of the San Luis Obispo chapter of the American Civil Liberties
Union. Last week, he called Templeton's pursuit of a drug-dog policy a
breakdown of the district's trust of parents and students.

"I think these policies are just based on fear and hysteria," he said,
adding that, " ... I don't think it enhances the educational environment."

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. Thursday at the school district office at
2950 Santa Rosa Creek Road.

Jeff Ballinger covers K-12 education for The Tribune. Story ideas and news
tips can be given to him at 781-7908 or at jballinger@thetribunenews.com.