BRISTOL VIRGINIA SCHOOL BOARD HEARS STUDENTS' IDEAS ON DRUG, ALCOHOL PLAN

BRISTOL, Va. -- Two Virginia High School student leaders said Saturday they
support harsh punishments for classmates caught with drugs or alcohol. The
students came to the city School Board's annual retreat to offer their
ideas and suggestions on what a proposed comprehensive drug and alcohol
plan should look like. "There have been some kids who have come to school
drunk, but the teachers didn't catch it because they didn't know about it,"
said Shelley Weaver, a VHS junior and Student Council Association member.
"I guess the teachers didn't think that people actually do that." The
School Board assumed the task several years ago of developing a
comprehensive plan to deal with drugs and alcohol.

The plan includes policies in areas such as prevention, enforcement,
treatment, referral and testing. "The subject we're most busy with at
present is the comprehensive drug and alcohol plan," said John Kieffer,
School Board chair. "We want to develop it into a good and working system,
and we made progress with that today." Students said they were in favor of
severe penalties for athletes, such as being kicked off their teams, if
they were caught with drugs or alcohol. "If we did that, we wouldn't have
much of a football team or basketball team," said Andrew Carico, student
body president. "It's sad but it's true. I think we should do that, but it
would make VHS athletics low-scale." Carico said he wanted a student-led
effort to change the amount of drinking and experimenting that goes on in
high school. "There's more people unhappy with it than you would think," he
said. "I know I'm not one of those kids who does these things, but I would
like to see a change." Carico suggested more planned activities such as
concerts or dances after Friday night football games. Board members
emphasized their support in finding a solution to the drug and alcohol
problem, adding that parental involvement is of utmost importance. "There's
a problem in the community, and it comes into the school," said board
member Randy White. "We want to help these students get rid of this
problem." It was the first time students have come to the board offering
their ideas on this issue, said board member Butch Tolley. The Student
Assistance Program, a plan addressing mental health, substance abuse and
emotional issues, also became a part of the comprehensive drug and alcohol
plan's final draft. Highlands Community Services representatives explained
how the program brings an outside counselor into schools to help students
deal with factors affecting their scholastic performance. "(This plan)
gives us a channel to make sure students are getting the help they need,"
Kieffer said. Washington County schools have used the program since 1988,
and board member White said it receives an overwhelmingly positive response
from students and faculty there. "It's amazing how supportive the teachers
are now," he said. "This is totally different from having a guidance
counselor." The voluntary program works through educators, family or
community agencies referring students to the SAP counselor and then
confidentially working to resolve students' issues. Kieffer said he is
working on the final draft of the plan and hopes to present it to the board
by the middle of July. In other business, the board delayed approval of the
2003-04 school budget because of technical accounting questions needing to
be answered by City Council. The budget will come before the board at its
July 7 meeting. The board also addressed a myriad of other issues, such as
its 2002-03 goals, its 2003-04 goals and its annual school division report.