WEST FRANKFORT PARENTS CONCERNED ABOUT DRUGS

WEST FRANKFORT -- Drug abuse -- particularly prescription drug abuse
- -- was one of the main topics of interest at the West Frankfort school
board meeting Monday night.

A contingent of five parents lead by Mike Williams, Franklin County
probation officer, spoke to the board about drug abuse at the junior
and senior high schools. The concern was sparked by recent incidents
at both schools where students were discovered with drugs.

"We've got good honest kids who are getting drugs pushed in their face
every day," Williams said. "There are only so many times a kid can say
'no.' I think we need to let them (the drug pushers) know that they
are not welcome in our school."

Superintendent George Hopkins said there had been an incident at the
junior high school where a student brought some prescription drugs to
the school and had given some of them to four other students. The
students involved received suspensions. There was also a drug-related
incident at the high school.

"We are speaking tonight in closed session to alleviate the problem
and plan on taking steps to address that," Hopkins said. "I don't
think it is any worse a problem here than at any other school in
Southern Illinois. We are not a den of iniquity."

Hopkins believes the district is taking a proactive approach to stem
drug abuse problems. Last month the board announced plans to hire a
full-time police officer who will be used primarily at the high school
to deter drug use and violence. The cost of the officer will be shared
between the district and the city.

"I think a lot of folks like you are frustrated," Hopkins said,
referring to the group of parents in attendance. "We have done some
things. We have increased the amount of mental health social work
taking place in our schools? Do we have enough of that? No."

"We are looking at drug testing. We are studying two area places that
are using it," Hopkins said.

"If it were up to me I would randomly drug test every kid in our
school," Williams said. "You're going to have to slow down what is
happening in our school.

"We've got to do something. I talked to the board five years ago about
this and here we are again. It affects all kids. Kids in sports, kids
in the band and kids in chorus."

Williams said a group of citizens, including teachers and board
members, formed five years ago to do something about drug abuse in the
schools but attendance at their monthly meeting eventually dwindled to
the point where the group was abandoned.

"The problem didn't go away," Hopkins said. "But the interest (in
doing something about it) did."

Board member George Karoski pointed out the school board can only do
so much.

"Kids taking their parent's prescription drugs to school -- we can't
stop that. I don't want to see the board taking all the blame for
that," Karoski said.

Parent Diana Jones said drug education needs to extend beyond the
students.

"I think that education needs to be done, not just to the kids but to
the parents. I don't think the parents know what is going on. I don't
want to see mine end up with a problem," Jones said, referring to her
daughter who is a middle school student. "I am scared to death what
might happen to her."

Jack Warren, board president, offered his support to the
group.

"We appreciate your input. We are going to continue to do everything
we can do to stop this problem," he said.

FCHS Principal John Hixon said random drug testing is not currently
being used. The school did use a dog to do a random drug search at the
high school but nothing was found.

Linda Varis, junior high school principal, said the incident at her
school was an isolated incident. For the past several years, since the
school has gone to a closed campus during lunch hour, there have been
very few drug problems at the school. According to Varis, the student
who brought the prescription drugs from home was not the type of
student one would label as a trouble maker or drug pusher. That
student received ten days suspension and the other students who chose
to receive some of those pills received five days suspension.