MIRA COSTA HIGH REVAMPS DRUG POLICY

After an unprecedented number of drug and alcohol offenses this year, Mira
Costa High School plans to crack down on student violators by banning them
from extracurricular activities, putting them in counseling and possibly
subjecting them to random drug tests.

The proposal - part of a comprehensive overhaul of the school's
disciplinary system - is slated to come before the Manhattan Beach Board of
Education for discussion on July 17. The proposed policies are undergoing
legal review.

Topping the list of recommendations is a two-pronged approach for dealing
with first-time drug offenders, which has been a nagging problem at the
Manhattan Beach high school. In the past year, there have been nearly 50
suspensions for drug and alcohol offenses, 17 in one month - a school
record, officials say.

Under the proposal, students caught on campus with drugs or alcohol could
choose one of two options:

A five-day suspension, ban on all extracurricular activities for a year
after the date of violation and counseling sessions outside school hours
with the student's parents.

Or, counseling sessions outside school hours with the student's parents and
a ban on extracurricular activities until a drug test comes back clean. The
drug tests would be conducted randomly.

Currently, a student caught with drugs or alcohol is suspended and placed
into counseling for a first offense. A second violation results in
expulsion. Police are notified in every instance.

"For some reason, it hasn't had an impact," board member Tracey Windes
said. "That's why (Principal Lynn McCormack) is coming up with a policy
that has a little more teeth in it with the consequences."

The district is trying to determine if random drug testing in such a
circumstance is legal. The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld mandatory random
drug testing of school athletes and is expected to rule this summer on
whether schools can require all students in extracurricular activities to
take drug tests.

District officials hope to avoid legal problems because of the voluntary
nature of the proposed drug tests. "It does give a choice for the student
one way or the other," Superintendent Jerry Davis said.

But if lawyers advise Manhattan Beach not to pursue drug-testing, school
officials will come up with other options, Davis said. Either way, the
school plans to proceed with the first option in the coming school year.

Also, the district is considering stiffer penalties for seniors who skip
classes in their last year, costing the school much-needed revenue.
McCormack has proposed a policy in which students absent 15 or more class
periods would not be able to participate in senior activities, including
graduation.

Again, the district is conducting a legal review of the proposal.