'SOME STUDENTS ARE USING, THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT IT'

Middle School Drug Search Turns Up Nothing

Some Butler Students Bring Marijuana To School, Eighth-Grader Says

Photo caption: Butler Middle School Assistant Principal Tim Poulson talks
about how pleased he was that no drugs were found in the school following a
search by the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department canine unit Wednesday
morning.

WAUKESHA - It was wheat - not weed - that Waukesha County sheriff's
deputies found Wednesday during a drug search at Butler Middle School.

A year-old sandwich was the only foul scent drug dogs picked up at the school.

"Well, they at least helped us clean out a locker," said Michael Bralick,
Butler principal. "Having the dogs here sends a good message to the kids.
At this stage I think it's more intimidating than anything."

Wednesday marked the first time the Waukesha Police Department and the
sheriff's department searched a middle school. Three canines were released
in the hallways while students were in class.

Random drug searches are done at each of the high schools about once a
year. The search at Butler was conducted at the request of school
administrators.

Teachers were not told about the search until Wednesday morning to lower
the risk of students finding out early.

"We wanted to reinforce the fact that drugs at school will not be
tolerated," said Tim Poulson, assistant principal. "The city police were
here and we were prepared to prosecute if we found anything illegal."

If administrators were trying to intimidate the students, it worked on
eighth-grader Nikki Miller.

"I was anxious because I didn't want some of my friends to get caught,"
Miller said. "I'm guessing one-fourth of the kids bring weed to school."

Poulson said he thought Miller's estimation is an exaggeration.

"We didn't catch any today," Poulson said. "Maybe I'm naive and kids do
bring marijuana to school - possibly they even get away with it. But
eventually they will get caught."

Before searching Butler, police took two Waukesha West students into
custody after a random drug search there, police said.

The West students had small amounts of marijuana, police said.

"It was at the consent and planning of the schools," said Waukesha police
Capt. Mike Babe. "Mainly it's an issue of keeping schools a drug-free zone."

Superintendent David Schmidt said the reason the dogs were at Butler was a
cooperative effort between the school and canine unit, which allowed the
dogs to train in a three-story building.

"We are not going to start sending in dogs to the middle schools to search
for drugs," Schmidt said. "No effort at all will be made unless it is
needed. It is not needed at this time."

No students have been suspended for drug possession this year at Butler,
Poulson said.

"We've got a handful of girls who write weed, marijuana or 420 on their
notebooks or arms," Poulson said. "Some students are using, there's no
question about it. Some just want to fit in."

Eighth-grader Sean McCarthy said sending in the dogs is a good way to keep
the school safe from drugs.

"Some kids do use drugs," McCarthy said. "I don't know if they bring them
to school or not, but this will probably help stop it if they do."

Freeman reporter Ryan Amundson contributed to this report.