SCHOOL DRUG WAR NEEDS STRONG HAND

Winning the war against drugs in schools hinges on one "super person," says
superintendent Terry Sullivan.

Last year, Sullivan struck up a committee to explore rising drug-related
suspensions in district schools and come up with some recommendations on
how to address it.

Now, it's time to put words into actions, he says.

Next week he anticipates a job posting will be up for a drug-reduction and
intervention worker. That person will be devoted to addressing the rising
drug problem in schools, and will likely have a teaching certificate, a
degree in counselling or social work and plenty of experience in the field.

"We're looking for a super person. This is a huge issue, we have a serious
problem in our community, and the fact we have 10,000 needles exchanged
each year in a city our size should be a wake-up call."

This is the first major step in dealing with a massive drug problem in
schools, Sullivan says. Drug-related suspensions have nearly tripled since
1997-98, with 73 recorded that year, and 209 recorded in 2002-03.

All reports indicate students are accessing drugs earlier, and they're not
sticking with marijuana, but are being caught with harder drugs including
methamphetamines and crack cocaine.

"Everything hinges on this person," Sullivan says. The drug-reduction and
intervention worker will develop an action plan based on the committee's
recommendations.