DRUGS, WEAPONS STILL CAUSE PROBLEMS

Kings Mountain, East Lincoln Report the Most Crimes of 80 Schools

Both Lincoln and Kings Mountain high schools continue to struggle with
students bringing illegal drugs and weapons to school.

East Lincoln and Kings Mountain high schools reported the most crimes
among the 80 public schools in Gaston and Lincoln. East Lincoln had 25
incidents and Kings Mountain had 16, compared with 15 at Hunter Huss
High, the Gaston school with the most crimes.

The N.C. Department of Public Instruction compiled school-by-school
crime reports for the 2002-03 school year because of the new federal
No Child Left Behind law. Previous years' statistics were not
available from the state or the school districts.

Kings Mountain Principal John Yarbro said most of the school's 12 drug
incidents involved marijuana.

"If a kid has a very, very small amount of marijuana, they're in
violation, and we're going to report it on the crime and violence
report," he said.

Students caught with illegal drugs or alcohol on campus are suspended
for 10 days. If a student completes a substance abuse program, the
suspension is reduced to three days. That option is allowed only on
the first offense.

Yarbro said he caught three students with weapons last school year.
Kings Mountain conducts random classroom searches at least once a week
to search for weapons and drugs. A resource officer or administrator
searches every student in the class.

Students caught with drugs, alcohol, weapons or other contraband are
suspended from school for five days, no exemptions.

East Lincoln High School's 25 incidents included six weapons charges,
16 drug offenses and three cases of students bringing alcohol to school.

Principal Todd Black said one student mixed liquor with his Sun-Drop
last school year and brought it to class. Another student smelled the
alcohol and told a teacher.

Black also confiscated four pocketknives, a set of brass knuckles and
a box cutter, and caught several students with pot.

"When we recover marijuana, we're talking about a $10 bag," he said.
"It's usually something small."

Black relies on student tips, random searches, police dogs and
hand-held metal detectors to catch students with drugs, alcohol or
weapons.

This year East Lincoln also is handling fights differently.

Students who threaten to harm one another, but have not fought before,
are referred to a mediator who helps resolve the dispute peacefully.
Law enforcement does not charge the students unless they get into a
fight.

Pumpkin Center Middle, which had four incidents of students bringing
weapons to class, has another approach to helping students.

Pumpkin Center Principal Bobby Harkey said he warns sixth-graders
about the consequences of bringing weapons or drugs to school.
Teachers demonstrate hand-held metal detectors to make their point.

The staff also spends 45 minutes per week with small groups of
students to answer their questions about drugs, alcohol, divorce,
death, breaking the rules and life in general. "About two years ago, a
student had a cat or dog that died that morning," he said. "We talked
about death and the grieving process."