CHINO - Keeping schools as the safest place for youth during the day, officials at Chino Valley Unified School District are working together with local law enforcement agencies, parents and students to wipe out drugs on school campuses.
"Drugs will not be tolerated on our campuses," said Superintendent Wayne M. Joseph. "We understand that there will always be those young people who will turn to drugs for experimentation or escape, but that does not release us from our obligation to find ways to reach out before the usage occurs or to send the concurrent message that drugs will not be tolerated on our campuses.
" The increase in drug usage mirrors what is happening in communities all around the country as the recession causes stress, joblessness, homes being lost, and lack of employment opportunities for youth.
"The majority of students are coming to school and school-sponsored events without an interest in drugs," said District Spokeswoman Julie Gobin. Of the 15,547 junior and senior high students in the District, 1.4% or 22 students have been expelled for possession or sales of drugs since September 2009, which is an increase over previous years.
Expulsion statistics from previous years:
2005/06 - 18 of the 36 expulsions were drug related = 50%
2006/07 - 9 of the 50 expulsions were drug related = 18%
2007/08 - 20 of the 54 expulsions were drug related = 37%
2008/09 - 21 of the 40 expulsions were drug related = 52%
2009/10 (first semester only) - 22 of 40 were drug related = 50%
"There is strong student support at the schools to keep drugs out. Interestingly enough, students have complained about drugs and asked the schools how they could help," Gobin said. "Students working with students will be an important part of this campaign."
At a series of recent parent forums presented by the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department on Internet Safety - Cyber Bullying this school year, the question and answer session focused more on drugs than cyber issues from the parent perspective, Gobin said. At the March 18 Board of Education meeting, the Board approved a contract with Interquest Detection Canines to provide a detection and deterrence program using scent trained detection canines to visit school campuses. The service was used on District campuses with great success in the past.
"We listened to our parents," Gobin said. "Our students' voices are being acknowledged as well." "Parents want information and more importantly, they want guidance on how to handle the situation at home," Gobin said. "The campaign will incorporate both aspects of this education piece."
Parent education forums are planned. The first forum will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, May 3 at Magnolia Junior High School. The forum will include a representative from the California Narcotics Officers Association (CNOA) who is a law enforcement officer as well as a trained pharmacology expert. Additional dates will be announced. District staff will also undergo training from the CNOA on May 3 prior to the parent meeting. Information is posted on the District's website at www.chino.k12.ca.us to assist parents with issues such as how to talk to your child about drugs and warning signs.
The Chino Valley is not immune to a trend that is occurring throughout the nation which is children obtaining prescription drugs from the home, Gobin said. "Parents need to understand that so many of the problems we deal with at school start in the home," Superintendent Joseph said.
The District's Health Services team will be involved in the program as we want to be able to help parents not only identify possible drug abuse but where to turn to for help, Gobin said. Information from the Health Services team will point parents to local agencies that deal in counseling, mental health issues and addiction.
"No one has to face this problem alone," Gobin said. "That means the student, the parent or the school." A recent meeting between school district officials and the chiefs of police from the Chino and Chino Hills Police Departments, officers from the Ontario Police Department, and the school resource officers, renewed the partnership's pledge to address the concern.
The District is unique in that we are serviced by three law enforcement agencies," Gobin said. "It is important that we all are working together on this issue." The school resource officers will be working together to create presentations for the parent forums and to continue to share information on this issue, Gobin said. "It is important that we address the problem and not deny it from fear of risk to reputation," Gobin said. "It truly is a communitywide problem and can only be solved through this wide-spread effort."
