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Board amends substance abuse policy

Date: 7/19/2010

July 19, 2010.

By Chris Maza

Reminder Assistant Editor

WILBRAHAM -- The Hampden-Wilbraham Regional Schools Committee approved a change to the Minnechaug Regional High School (MRHS) student handbook regarding the school's chemical health policy at the committee's July 13 meeting.

Principal Stephen Hale presented the change, which will require educational and reflective measures in addition to disciplinary action for violators, of the policy. Changes were also made concerning club and athletics eligibility.

Any confirmed use of alcohol, drugs or tobacco products, whether on or off school grounds, is considered a violation of the chemical health policy.

Superintendent M. Martin O'Shea stressed these additions will not have an effect on administrative decisions regarding student violations.

"This does not in any way, shape or form reflect suspension or even expulsion policies as they relate to students who are found to be in possession of alcohol, tobacco or drugs on school grounds or at a school sponsored event. This strictly applies to how it relates to participation in athletics and student activities," he said.

Under the new guidelines, students found in violation of the policy will have to spend time with an Alcohol Tobacco Other Drugs Intervention/Prevention (ATOD I/P) specialist, which will be provided through a grant, as well as write a reflection paper about what they have learned.

"What we found this year, when there were incidents that occurred, was parents reaching out to us and asking why there wasn't an educational component to our policy [and] that it seemed to be just focused on consequence," Hale explained.

Students not involved in athletics, but who do take part in other school activities will face new guidelines designed to be consistent with guidelines for student athletes.

For a first offense, students will lose their eligibility to participate in clubs or activities for four weeks, have four appointments with an ATOD I/P specialist and write a reflection paper. For subsequent offenses, the student will lose 10 weeks of eligibility, must complete 10 appointments with an ATOD I/P specialist and write a reflection paper.

In addition to existing consequences for student athletes, which include a ban from 25 percent of a team's contests for a first offense and a sanction of 60 percent of the season for subsequent offenses, violators who play sports must also complete the same ATOD I/P and reflective requirements.

Class officers who receive disciplinary action in conjunction with the policy will be removed from the position from the remainder of the school year.

Violators who are National Honors Society members also face a year-long dismissal from the organization. In both cases, the dismissal will carry over to the next year if it occurs after May 1 and students must meet four times with ATOD I/P specialists and write a reflection piece.

"The second part of it was to bring some consistencies to the policies," Hale said. "Previously a student who was an athlete and a student who was part of our many clubs at Minnechaug would have two different tracks of consequence and we feel whether you're involved in a club or an athletics team or a student government role, you should have some consistency."

Committee member Lisa Morace called the new consistencies into question, stating the eligibility punishments for NHS members was harsh in comparison to other clubs.

In response, Hale pointed out that another proposed change is to allow students to run for re-election or reapply to NHS the following year at the principal's discretion. With the prior conduct code, and national NHS standards, once a student was expelled from the organization, that student was never allowed to reapply.

O'Shea supported Hale's position, asserting that being a member of NHS or being a class officer comes with higher expectations, both academically and in the community.

"There's a very select number of kids that you're going to hold to a higher standard because they expect that and want that," O'Shea said. "To be a member of National Honors Society or to be a class officer, our expectations for them should be greater."

Hale added that community, faculty and student input was sought in making the change and the measure was supported heavily.

"The School Improvement Council, the Minnechaug Parents Organization, student government leaders themselves, faculty, staff, members of the department chair council all contributed to this writing," Hale said