JOHNSTOWN SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS SAY THEY'RE NOT OBLIVIOUS TO SUBSTANCE ABUSE
ISSUE

JOHNSTOWN - Members of the Greater Johnstown School District Board of
Education say their vote against applying for a police grant this month
does not mean they are oblivious to substance abuse among the student body.

"Alcohol and drug abuse has always been a problem in Fulton County," board
President Sharon Ritzmann said. "It hasn't changed."

Area police officials criticized the school board last week for its
decision to not sign an application for a federal grant that would pay the
initial salaries of two police officers who would work in the schools.

"There is no alcohol or drug problem in the Johnstown district? ... Board
members, remove your heads from the sand," Gloversville Police Chief John
Harzinski wrote in a letter published in The Leader-Herald last week.

Ritzmann said the application was presented to the board in May, and the
board did not have time to discuss with the city who would pay for the
program after the grant money runs out. Some board members were also
concerned about the lack of a clear job description for the positions
created by the grant. "It's not the program I object to, it's making the
commitment in times when the finances are uncertain," she said. Ritzmann
said the board would be willing to consider the program again if the Police
Department wants to apply next year.

Board member Russell Martin, who voted in favor of the application, said
school officials are responsible for students when they are in school, but
they have little control over what happens outside school grounds. "I'm a
firm believer that it starts with the parents," Martin said. "They're the
ones who are responsible."

Ritzmann, a retired French teacher who also sits on the board of Foothills
Youth Services, said part of the problem is that parents trust their
children too much. "Teen-agers are teen-agers, and they sometimes lie to
their parents," she said. Ritzmann said the Parent-Teacher-Student
Association has organized parenting workshops and other programs to help
families deal with substance abuse and other problems. She said the last
time it offered a parenting workshop, no one showed up.

Some school board members said they might consider changing the open lunch
policy at the high school as a way of preventing students from drinking or
using drugs in the middle of the school day.

"I've never been a champion of open lunch," board member Richard McGuire
said. "I think open lunch should be a hard-won reward for good attendance
or good scholarship."

Ritzmann said the board could revisit the policy in the year ahead, but she
thinks to be effective, the policy must uniformly apply to all students.
"There is a naivete about using an honor system," she said. "In my
experience, some of the heartiest partyers have been kids who were on the
honor roll."

William Pollak, the former mayor of Johnstown who will be assuming an
elected seat on the school board next month, agreed the open lunch policy
is worth taking a second look at. Pollak said the school district and city
police should find new ways to deal with underage drinkers. Perhaps the
Police Department should set up an anonymous hot line to allow people to
advise police about parties involving underage drinking or illegal drugs,
he said. He said in cases where there is concern but no arrest is
warranted, it might be helpful for police to send written notices or make
phone calls to the parents of young people involved in illicit activities.

Pollak said local authorities should look to other communities for examples
to follow. "We need to find out if there are any success stories," Pollak
said. "Get tougher on school attendance, bring in the parents more often."