
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, February 3, 1995                   TAG: 9502030094
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: KIMBERLY N. MARTIN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

BOTETOURT SCHOOLS EXPEL 2ND, 3RD IN SINGLE MONTH

In a month's time, Botetourt County has gone from having one of the area's lowest school expulsion rates to having one of the highest.

The school system, which until last month had a record unblemished by an expulsion for nine years, expelled two students Thursday for possession of a firearm on school grounds.

The board's decision brings Botetourt's total to three expulsions for the school year - the other being a Lord Botetourt High School student, tossed out for using and possessing marijuana on school grounds. D} That's one more

expulsion than Roanoke and three more than Roanoke County and Salem this year. But last year, Roanoke had 10 expulsions, seven for possessing weapons on school grounds.

``The last time we did this was in 1986, and that was for a bomb threat,'' said Botetourt School Superintendent Clarence McClure.

Thursday's board decision was prompted by a Jan. 17 incident involving a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old at James River High School, whom school officials and police refused to identify.

The 16-year-old brought a grandparent's gun to school and gave it to the 17-year-old, police said. Later that afternoon in a Buchanan parking lot, the 17-year-old accidentally shot a 15-year-old student in the thigh, police said. The two older students face criminal charges for possession of a firearm on school property, and the 17-year-old was charged with filing a false police report and reckless use of a weapon.

``It's a surprise, and it's regretful. I've been at James River for 11 years, and I've never had an expulsion,'' said Larry Journell, James River High School principal.

But the crime dictated the punishment, McClure said.

``We had very little leeway on this,'' McClure said. ``The [federal] law prescribed the penalty.''

But even school policy as stated in the Botetourt student handbook calls for expulsion for possession of a firearm on school grounds. Federal law and Botetourt guidelines differ only on the length of time: The law calls for expulsion to last one full year; school policy dictates expulsion for the remainder of the calendar year, McClure said. After that time, the student may apply to the board for readmission to the school.

by CNB