Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 24, 1995 TAG: 9503240110
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: MELISSA DeVAUGHN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
School administrators were alerted Monday that the student, a sophomore, might have a gun in his car, which was parked on school property.
Assistant principals Wanda Price and Dave Petersen asked the student to open his car so they could search it. They found a pistol in the glove compartment. The gun was not loaded, nor was there any ammunition in or around the car. The student never took the gun inside the school.
The student was immediately suspended for 10 days, and he may face expulsion for the rest of the school year.
Principal Alfred Smith said this was a first for his school.
``It's the first time a real gun has been found,'' he said. ``The closest thing we have come to before is [carbon dioxide] cartridge pellet guns. But look-alikes are all the same thing - we treat them all the same.''
Under a bill passed by this year's General Assembly, any student found with a gun on school grounds is to be expelled for one school year.
But that bill - assuming Gov. George Allen signs it - will not take effect until July. The Montgomery County School Board will decide the student's fate.
The gun incident is a first for Montgomery County, too.
``I don't believe we've had any guns since I've been here,'' said Superintendent Herman Bartlett, who has held that job almost two years.
``Since I've been on the School Board, I'm not aware of any guns being brought to school,'' School Board Chairman Roy Vickers said Thursday. ``Not even any knife issues.'' Vickers has been on the board four years.
Last November, two Giles High School freshmen were expelled after they brought a pistol concealed in a duffel bag into the school.
In 1992, a Floyd County High School student was expelled after bringing a sawed-off shotgun to school. He wanted to trade it for a hunting rifle.
Last year, Roanoke expelled half a dozen students for bringing guns to school; a month ago, a Roanoke County fifth-grader was suspended for bringing a BB gun to school.
Smith, the Blacksburg High principal, did not give a definite reason why the student had the gun, but said it ``was primarily over [incidents] taking place off of school grounds.''
''Obviously, I agree with School Board policy that the school is no place for a gun,'' said Regina Smith, president of the Montgomery County Council of PTAs.
But even though this is the first gun incident in the county, she said, ``I'm not sure I'd panic yet, unless [the student] came with the intent to bring the gun in and do bodily harm.''
Vickers said the School Board has not set a date to hear about the case, but ``I assume a recommendation will be forthcoming.''
Memo: NOTE: Shorter version ran in Metro edition.