RAYMOND OFFICIALS, PARENTS, TEENS REACT TO SURVEY ON DRUGS AND EDUCATION

RAYMOND - The results of a recent teen survey by the University of New
Hampshire is drawing mixed reactions from school leaders, teachers, parents
and students as they try to determine what the numbers really mean.

Some say they're pleased the survey is bringing teen issues into the open,
while others accuse the media of portraying Raymond in a negative light by
reporting the results.

The survey asked Raymond's middle and high school students about alcohol
and drug use, sexual activity, school safety, relationships with parents
and perceptions of school and community. The results were released last week.

"I think the reaction varies depending on what the statistic is. I think in
all communities there are going to be a few people who do not want to
accept the results. These are the youth's voices and they have shared what
they think and what their activities are. It's important to respect that,
from their perspective, this is how they view the community and their
behaviors," said Charlotte W. Cross, director of the Teen Assessment
Project led by the University of New Hampshire's Cooperative Extension.

Some people have begun to question whether students gave honest answers and
fully understood some of the questions.

Still, observers said the survey will generate a discussion of issues
concerning local youth.

Marijuana use is one area of concern for school officials.

Twenty-one percent of middle school students and 51 percent of high school
students said they've used marijuana at some time.

School board member Janice Arsenault said Raymond's overall results aren't
any worse than those from other schools where students took the same survey.

"I'm disappointed because I would like everything to be positive, but I
don't think that's a reality," she said.

Arsenault is among those who wonder just how many students answered
truthfully, especially when they were asked to rate the quality of
Raymond's education.

Thirty-seven percent said they felt they were getting a good education,
compared with 62 percent of students surveyed in other New Hampshire schools.

"I honestly think if you have a group of teens sitting in a room filling
out a survey, you have to think how many are being honest," she said.

Superintendent Jim Turbeville admitted Raymond's education in the past
hadn't been "what it should be," but he said the district is making
improvements by adding new courses and other programs to enhance curriculum.

The survey was worthwhile, Arsenault said, but the results shouldn't be
used to judge all of Raymond's youth.

Many school officials, teachers and parents pointed to school safety as the
most positive survey result because 88 percent of the students said they
feel safe at school.

"The fact that kids feel safe, it's obvious we've done something about
safety," Turbeville said.

Some teachers have criticized the media for its coverage of the survey
results, saying there is too much attention given to the negative results.
And now students are questioning whether they should have taken the survey,
said Patricia Nardone Boucher, a social studies teacher and president of
the teachers' union.

Others stressed that the concerns about youth are not just issues for the
school but the entire community.

"I feel that the community really needs to take responsibility for a lot of
it. The school is only responsible for so much. The only way to fix the
problem is to present it. We can fix them if we know what they are," said
Celeste Clark, a member of the newly formed Raymond Coalition for Youth.

Some parents said they weren't surprised by the results.

Colleen West-Coates, a former school board member and parent of five
children in the school district, said the results are realistic.

"It provides a baseline of where we are," she said.

West-Coates said she's always been concerned about the quality of Raymond's
education. But, she said, "I think it goes back to the fact that there
isn't an equal education in the state of New Hampshire."

West-Coates' daughter, Kate Norley, 17, is a senior at Raymond High School.
Norley said many Raymond students feel the survey showed they're pretty
much average when compared with other schools.

"It surprised us that most of the (drug) usage was actually lower than we
thought. High-schoolers think everyone is doing something, but when you
look at the statistics it looks like half are doing things," she said.

Norley said students gave honest answers. She disagreed with the many
students who felt Raymond's education was poor. Norley said Raymond is
providing a good education, adding, "it's a good thing that everyone
actually cares about what they're learning."

Parent Karen Mathieu, a former special education teacher in Raymond,
praised the school faculty and staff, saying there are many teachers and
administrators who are talented and "share their gift" each day with their
students.

Mathieu's oldest son, Brandon, 17, is a senior who serves on the student
council and is a student representative on the school board. While he said
students were truthful in the survey, he said the number of high school
students who reported they used marijuana at least once (51 percent)
accurately reflects the student body. He also said it's hard to accept that
only 37 percent of all the students surveyed felt they were getting a
quality education.

"We're not the negative school district other towns perceive us to be.
We're up and coming and striving to do better," he said. "The faculty is
consistently trying to get new programs."

After the release of the survey results, Norley said she and her friends
urged the high school to begin offering a new peer outreach program similar
to one that ended in recent years when the program's adviser left the
district. The program gave students a chance to get together to perform
various volunteer projects.