MOORESTOWN SCHOOL BOARD UPDATES DRUG AND ALCOHOL POLICY

MOORESTOWN -- The township Board of Education has adopted an updated
and tougher drug and alcohol policy that could punish students for
illegal activities on and off campus.

In a 7-2 vote, the school board agreed to a number of revisions to
the school district's drug and alcohol policy during its meeting Tuesday night.

"We've always had a policy, but (the previous) policy was due to be
updated," board President Don Mishler said. "Our old policy was just
too cumbersome for administrators to administer."

Mishler said two drug-related incidents since December, including one
on Monday, reinforced the board's decision to update the policy but
were not the reasons for the revisions.

"We've been working on this update for two years. (The latest
incidents) drove home the need for a more clear policy," Mishler said.

The updated policy includes a broader list of prohibited substances,
such as all alcoholic beverages, anabolic steroids and inhalants.

Prescription and over-the-counter medicines, including cough syrups
and diet pills, would be regulated, meaning students would be
required to register all medications with the school nurse.

Punishment for first-time offenders would be a 10-day suspension and
would require intervention, which could include counseling and up to
a year of random drug testing. Alcohol offenses would be treated in
the same manner as drug offenses.

Under the old policy, offenders typically faced a five-day suspension

The updated policy also would prohibit offenders from participating
in all extracurricular activities for 45 days.

"While the exclusion from all extracurricular activities is
significant, it's clearly meant to be a deterrent," Mishler said.

Students charged with distribution of drugs would face a school board
hearing and possible expulsion.

In addition, the policy now covers some behavior of students during
off-campus activities.

Mishler said any illegal alcohol or drug activity that generates a
police report would be subject to enforcement if administrators deem
it to be hazardous to students at the school.

"Getting caught drinking alcohol at the shore over the summer
probably wouldn't fall under being hazardous to the school, but being
involved in an alcohol-related accident that killed someone the last
day of summer probably would," Mishler said.

Board members Richard Kaye and A.J. Kreimer cast the only votes
against the new policy.

Neither could be reached for comment yesterday afternoon, but Mishler
said both had expressed concerns about the policy being too
over-reaching in the areas covering off-campus activities.

Tuesday's board decision came just one day after the high school went
through a two-hour lockdown. School officials found what appeared to
be drug-related materials, a list of possible drug customers' names,
a list of weapons and diagrams of certain offices in the school while
searching the backpack of one of two students involved in a fight.

Police charged that student, a 16-year-old sophomore, with
terroristic threats. The second student, a 17-year-old junior, was suspended.

In December, four high school students were arrested at school and
charged with possession of "a significant amount of cocaine,
amphetamines, diet pills, marijuana and prescription medication for
purposes other then their intended uses," according to police.