THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, June 8, 1996 TAG: 9606080004
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: 47 lines
Students in Virginia Beach know the rules concerning drugs: One strike and you're out of school. For a year.
Why children continue to bring contraband into the schools, knowing that the Beach has Hampton Roads' toughest disciplinary policy, is baffling.
So far this year, 740 Virginia Beach students have had disciplinary hearings for a variety of offenses. Of those, 149 students were suspended for the year for first-time drug infractions.
Yet, far from engendering praise, the system's ``zero tolerance'' policy toward drugs is drawing fire - mostly from the parents of children who have been suspended.
Instead of making excuses for their delinquent children, these parents ought to support the schools. And the law. After all, the schools are not suspending children for a year for violating a dress code or forgetting their homework. They are subject to serious discipline because they have broken the law.
The Virginia Beach approach to drugs in school is tough but fair. All students know that they bring drugs onto school property at their own peril. If they are caught, the authorities will be called and they will be dealt a long-term suspension.
That's as it should be. The schools should be a safe haven for the roughly 76,000 students who are enrolled. Youngsters with drugs - or weapons - need to be booted out of school as soon as possible for as long as possible.
Being suspended from school no longer means long, idle days in which to go looking for trouble. Suspended Virginia Beach students who are not incarcerated have six options available to them: the Center for Effective Learning, Richard Milburn High School, Tucker School (which is a regional effort with Norfolk), the Career Development Center, Open Campus (from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Green Run High School) and the Adult Learning Center.
These alternative schools usually cost students nothing and ensure that learning can continue even after a student has deliberately broken school rules.
The alternative schools are a good deal for students who dabble in drugs. And a great deal for the overwhelming number of sensible young people who don't want drug offenders in their midst.
KEYWORDS: ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY
by CNB