FREEPORT SCHOOL BOARD, PARENTS TALK ABOUT DRUGS

Parents asked school district officials to do more to curb teenage
drinking and drug abuse at Tuesday's school board meeting.

Parents Dave and Marianne Hill asked the school board to work more
cooperatively with parents and be more open about drinking and
drug-use issues within the schools.

Some parents are concerned that students may be drinking or using
drugs while at school functions.

They also worry teenagers are skipping school to use drugs or alcohol
without the parents getting proper notification from school
officials, according to the Hills.

Superintendent Joseph Malak and school board President Meredith
Christy said the district is eager to work with parents, but cannot
discuss specific instances of drinking or drug use because of privacy
laws.

"It's a privacy thing," Christy said. "Anything that happens, we
literally cannot say anything."

Malak said two students were expelled last year for drug-policy
violations.

"We had a couple of issues with transient students who were caught
and removed," Malak said.

School officials believe the two students were drug dealers, Malak
said. They've noticed a decrease in problems since the two were
expelled, Malak said.

He said the district has an administrator in charge of the district's
Safe and Drug-Free Schools program. He urged parents to contact
Principal Max Krugle at the high school if they have concerns about
drinking or drug use.