BOARD GIVES OK TO POLICY REVISIONS

East Helena School trustees on Monday night made changes to two
policies to ensure that medical marijuana is prohibited from school
grounds.

Board members unanimously approved revisions made to the drug- and
alcohol-free workplace policy to reflect concerns of trustees over
medical marijuana use by staff. It coincides with similar changes
approved last month to the administration of medication policy for
students.

"We are saying we definitely don't want people under the influence of
drugs or alcohol on campus in an impaired state," Superintendent Ron
Whitmoyer said. "The Drug-Free Schools law prohibits drugs or alcohol
from being on campus no matter what the state's laws are."

The student policy now reads: "The board will permit administration of
medication to students in schools, with the exception of medical
marijuana."

The personnel policy now reads: "unlawfully manufacturing, dispensing,
distributing, possessing, using, or being under the influence of a
controlled substance while on District premises or while performing
work for the District including employees possessing a medical
marijuana card."

Whitmoyer said if either instance did occur they would first send the
student or staff member home and then deal with it on an individual
basis.

"We wouldn't want them to be here if they were showing symptoms of
being on drugs," Whitmoyer said. "Just like morphine, we wouldn't want
them in the school, and they should wait until they are able to be
here without being under the influence."