W'BORO ISD DRUG POLICY QUESTIONED BY PARENTS

WHITESBORO -- More than 50 parents attended the Whitesboro School Board
meeting Monday night asking the board to take a more aggressive stance on
drugs in the district.

Nancy Gentry spoke on behalf of the unnamed concerned parent group, which
began meeting after finding out about one of their children's classmates
who had a drug problem.

"We realized we needed to support them (the family of the student) and join
together to help find a solution," she said. "We aren't so naive to think
our kids aren't going to make mistakes."

The group presented to the board a list of questions regarding the
district's policies especially at the high school. Questions regarded:

- - video cameras and monitors on campus;

- - closed campus;

- - parking lot permits;

- - visitors;

- - drug testing;

- - reporting procedures;

- - mandatory drug testing;

- - restroom checks;

- - student check-out;

- - drug dogs.

The group's stances seemed to be supportive of many of the district's
current policies but wanted them to be more heavily enforced.

"I really think our school board has concerns of our kids and their welfare
in their best interest. We weren't there to place blame but to let them
know we are there to help," Gentry said. "As long as there is involvement
on both sides, there is no reason why this isn't something we can't achieve
together."

WISD Superintendent Ray Lea thank the parents for coming to the meeting and
said that sometime in the next few weeks the Board would hold a special
meeting dedicated solely to the drug issue.

"If you weren't concerned, you wouldn't be here," he said. "And we are as
concerned as you."

High School Principal Rendell Cole spoke to the group and tried to answer
the parents' questions. He said he was in the process of ordering cameras.
As early as Tuesday, he had contacted Gentry and told her that the final
bid was in and the campus should have the cameras soon. He also said that
many of the concerns were things that were being worked on and said that a
lot of the things could be fixed with the parents' help. Cole invited the
parents to attend a meeting of Texoma Positive Promise, a high school club,
at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 21 at the high school cafeteria.

"This has been a heavy burden for this family," Gentry said. "We want to
gather more people and involve everyone within community. It takes a
village to raise a child and we want to make sure no one slips through the
cracks."

Gentry said that the group will continue to work with the school board
until a course of action is taken.