LAGUNA MULLS MOVE FROM 'ZERO TOLERANCE'

Education;First time drug or alcohol offenders would get therapy and stay
in school under a new policy to be discussed tonight.

Laguna Beach-The school board is considering a therapeutic approach to keep
first-time drug or alcohol offenders on campus and in class, a contrast to
the recent get-tough trend of "zero tolerance" for such crimes at schools.

"I'm sure it's the most lax policy in this county," said Eileen Walsh, a
board member who has been working on a new drug and alcohol policy that
will be discussed at a meeting tonight.

Laguna Beach reports nearly twice the rate of drug and alcohol cases as
other Orange County unified school districts, with nearly four incidents
per 1,000 students.

The policy would require students to serve "in school" suspensions with
extra detention periods rather than spending a week at home, as is
currently the case.

Athletes would be required to practice with their teams, but would be
prohibited from playing in games. Actors in school plays would have to
rehearse, but would be banned from the stage. However, a performer's
suspension could be delayed by the school board if the student's absence
would hurt the show. Community service and counseling - for both students
and parents - would also be required.

Most Orange County school districts require out-of-school suspensions and
transfer to another school for the first offense of using drugs or alcohol.
Newport-Mesa Unified, for example, transferred a student whom police caught
off campus with a marijuana pipe in his pickup. As a one-high-school town,
Laguna Beach has nowhere to transfer students.

Laguna's school board wants to approve the policy this spring so it can
take effect by fall. The proposals have drawn support and criticism.

Theater teacher Mark Dressler disagrees with the suggestion that an actor's
suspension can make or break a play.

"What about a quarterback on the football team?" said the director of the
district's award-winning drama department.

Several community members lauded the intent of the new policy. Susan Jacob,
executive director of Brandy's Friends, a treatment center for adolescents
named after a Laguna Beach High graduate who died of cocaine and alcohol
abuse, said students using drugs and alcohol need structure instead of
being turned loose during a suspension or expulsion.

"Expelling kids doesn't do anything but move the problem," she said. "It's
only about barring a child from healthy activities, and what good is that
going to do?"

Greg Wolfe, a consultant with the state Department of Education's Healthy
Kids Programs, said studies have found that therapy works better than
punishment among beginning users.

"Any opportunity to connect to others - to adults, to activities, to
healthy behavior other than just removing a student from school - is good,"
he said.

The 2,500-student Laguna Beach Unified School District reported 10
incidents of student drug or alcohol use in 1997-98. One student was expelled.

It had the highest rate of such offenses among Orange County's 11 unified
school districts, with 3.94 incidents per 1,000 students. The Orange County
average was 1.99 per 1,000. The county's three high school districts -
Anaheim, Fullerton, and Huntington Beach - reported higher rates of drug
and alcohol use.

Impetus for the policy changes came amid reports that some Laguna Beach
drug or alcohol users were not punished. One group busted for drinking
spent their five-day suspension vacationing in Palm Springs, Walsh said.

"That's at least Laguna lore," she said. "There's a culture of it being
party time in Laguna. You look around and see consequences aren't applied,
and I think this works against the policy. I hope this (new policy) is a
better deterrent and allows us to get involved with at-risk kids sooner."

Laguna Unified's Proposed Policy

First Offence On-campus suspension for up to five days,with student
attending regular classes but under supervision during lunch and breaks.

20 hours of commuity service.

Can rehearse and train for sports,performances and other extracurricular
activities.School board can postpone suspension if student plays a key role
in a drama production.

Student and parents and parents or guardians required to undergo counseling.

Student referred to Laguna Beach Police Department or peer court.

Second Offence

Mandatory five-day on-campus detention.

School board can expel,transfer student out of district,assign student to
continuation school or other alternative program.

Refferred to police department or peer court.

The meeting begins at 7p.m. at Laguna Beach Unified School District
headquarters,550 Blumont St. For more information,call (949)497-7700.