No. 227
ROSE TREE MEDIA
SCHOOL DISTRICT
SECTION:
PUPILS
TITLE:
DRUG AWARENESS
ADOPTED:
December 19, 2002
REVISED:
March 26, 2006
227. DRUG AWARENESS
1. Purpose
The Board recognizes that the misuse of drugs is a serious problem with legal,
physical and social implications for the whole school community.
It is district policy, through counseling, teaching, extracurricular activities, and the
use of community resources, to prevent and/or intervene in the use of drugs and
alcohol by our students. It is intended that a strong and consistent student, faculty,
and administrative effort will serve to educate and rehabilitate, as well as to deter
chemical abuse and dependency.
2. Definitions
Pol. 122
Co-Curricular Activities - Those activities which are sponsored or approved by the
Board but are not offered for credit toward graduation. Such activities shall
ordinarily be marked by student participation of the initiation, planning, organizing,
and execution and shall be available to all students who voluntarily elect to
participate, except that where eligibility requirements are necessary or desirable, the
Board shall be so informed and must approve the establishment of eligibility
standards before they may be operable. For the purpose of this policy, Band, Chorus,
and Orchestra are treated as co-curricular activities, and the teachers of these courses
will provide alternate assignments for any performances from which students are
excluded subsequent to the enforcement of our drug and alcohol policy.
Cooperative Behavior - The willingness of a student to work with staff and school
personnel in a reasonable and helpful manner.
Pol. 207
Confidential Communication - Communication between students and counselors,
students and the nurse, students and the school psychologist, and students and the
core team which shall be deemed private and protected by law unless the student
consents to the disclosure of information.
Core Counselor - Professional person hired or contacted to work with students and
staff on issues of drug and/or crisis counseling. A consultant to the STAR team at
Springton Lake.
Page 1 of 5
227. DRUG AWARENESS - Pg. 2
Core Team - An interdisciplinary group of school personnel who are specially
trained to identify, intervene and refer students who are having school problems due
to involvement with drugs and/or are demonstrating other associated problem
behaviors.
Distribute - To sell, deliver, pass, share or give any drug as defined by this policy,
from one person to another or to aid in the attempt.
35 P.S.
780-101 et seq,
807.1
42 P.S. 8337
21 U.S.C.
Sec. 812
Pol. 210
Drug - Shall include any alcohol or malt beverage; any controlled substance,
chemical, or medication for which a prescription is required; any illegal, abused
substance or look-alike which is intended to alter mood. Examples of the above
include, but are not limited to, beer, wine, liquor, marijuana, hashish, cocaine, crack,
glue, anabolic steroid, and any capsules or pills not registered with the school nurse
and given in accordance with policy. Human Growth Hormone (HGH) shall not be
included as an anabolic steroid under the provisions of the law.
Look-Alike Drug - A substance purposefully made to appear to be a drug.
Mimic - To copy, imitate closely, resemble closely.
Paraphernalia - All equipment, products and materials of any kind which are used
or designed for use in growing, manufacturing, converting, concealing, injecting,
ingesting, inhaling, or otherwise introducing into the body a drug defined by this
policy.
Possession - To hold or have on one's person, with or without attempt to distribute,
any drug determined to be illegal by this policy.
Probable Cause - A legal term used to describe the amount of evidence necessary
for the police to conduct a search and seizure.
Reasonable Suspicion - A standard of evidence less than "probable cause"
necessary for a school to initiate an in-house investigation.
School-Related Activity - All events, trips, programs, projects, etc., whether on or
off school property, sponsored, supervised, or financed by the school or school
district.
Pol. 226
Searches - School officials have the right to conduct searches and have broader
latitude than law enforcement officials. A search may be conducted to protect the
health, welfare and safety of the students and the educational process.
Page 2 of 5
227. DRUG AWARENESS - Pg. 3
Pol. 226
A clear situation in which a school official may conduct a search is the school
official's right to search a student's locker. Lockers are the property of the school and
the school has an obligation to ensure that they are used properly.
STAR - Student Teacher Assistance and Referral – Title of Springton Lake Middle
School's and Penncrest High School’s core team.
Uncooperative Behavior - Any resistance or refusal, either verbal, physical or
passive, on the part of a student to comply with a reasonable request or
recommendation of school personnel. Defiance, assault, deceit and flight shall
constitute examples of uncooperative student behavior.
Use - To ingest, inject, smoke or otherwise cause a drug to reach the bloodstream or
digestive tract.
3. Authority
SC 510, 511
Title 22
Sec. 12.3
Pol. 218, 233
The Board prohibits the use, possession, or distribution of any drug on school
property, or at any school-sponsored event. Further, this policy prohibits
participating in, or attending school-related activities under the influence of drugs.
Violations of this policy will result in disciplinary actions up to and including
expulsion.
The following minimum co-curricular penalties are prescribed for any student found
in violation of the rules and regulations required above. Violation of rules and
regulations include:
1. For a first violation, student is subject to a thirty (30) calendar day ban from cocurricular activities following a violation of the drug and alcohol policy.
2. For a second violation, student is subject to a sixty (60) calendar day ban from
co-curricular activities following a violation of the drug and alcohol policy.
3. For a third violation, student is subject to a ninety (90) calendar day ban from
co-curricular activities following a violation of the drug and alcohol policy.
4. For a fourth violation, student is subject to a one-year ban from co-curricular
activities following a violation of the drug and alcohol policy.
At the conclusion of one (1) calendar year, the student may appeal to the building
principal for reinstatement.
The district reserves the right to use those measures deemed necessary by the
administration to control substance use and abuse, even if the same is not provided
for specifically in the policy or guidelines.
Page 3 of 5
227. DRUG AWARENESS - Pg. 4
Title 22
Sec. 12.12
42 P.S. 8337
Pol. 207
The privileged confidentiality between students and guidance counselors, school
nurses, school psychologists, home and school visitors and other school employees
shall be respected and no confidential communication made to any such employee
shall be required to be revealed without the consent of the student or his/her parent/
guardian unless the best interests of the student can be served only by doing so.
4. Delegation of
Responsibility
The Superintendent or designee shall prepare rules for the identification,
amelioration and control of drug abuse and implementation of this policy in the
schools.
5. Guidelines
Prohibition Of Anabolic Steroids
35 P.S.
Sec. 807.1, 807.3
Eligibility for participation in school athletics shall be limited. No student shall be
eligible to resume participation in school athletics unless there has been a medical
determination that no residual evidence of steroids exists. The Board may require
participation in any drug counseling, rehabilitation, testing or other programs as a
condition of reinstatement into a school athletic program.
35 P.S.
Sec. 807.1, 807.2
The use of steroids by students involved in athletics is prohibited. In addition to the
prohibition of use, the Board directs the administration to develop educational plans
regarding the use of anabolic steroids.
35 P.S.
Sec. 807.1
The Superintendent shall prescribe, implement and enforce rules and regulations to
prohibit the use of anabolic steroids, except for a valid medical purpose, by any
student involved in school-related athletics. Body building and muscle enhancement
of athletic ability are not valid medical purposes. Human Growth Hormone (HGH)
shall not be included as an anabolic steroid under the provisions of the law.
35 P.S.
Sec. 807.2
Education regarding the dangers of anabolic steroids shall be provided in other
district drug and alcohol programs.
35 P.S.
Sec. 807.2
Pol. 233
Students should be made aware that anabolic steroids are classified as controlled
substances and that the use, unauthorized possession, purchasing, or selling could
subject them to suspension, expulsion and/or criminal prosecution.
Violations
Students charged with violating this policy shall be subject to the procedures that
follow.
Page 4 of 5
227. DRUG AWARENESS - Pg. 5
References:
Controlled Substances Act – 21 U.S.C. Sec. 801 et seq
PA Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act – 35 P.S.
780-101 et seq
PA Civil Immunity of School Officers/Employees Relating to Drug or Alcohol
Abuse – 42 Pa. C.S.A. 8337
Steroids – 35 P.S. Sec. 807.2
School Code – 24 P.S. Sec. 510, 511, 1303-A
State Board of Education Regulations – 22 PA Code Sec. 12.3; 22 PA Code
Sec. 403.1
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 – 20 U.S.C. Sec. 7114, 7161
Board Policy – 122, 207, 210, 218, 226, 233
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