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Highlands Today

School Expulsion Recommendations Nearly Double

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By MARC VALERO | Highlands Today

Published: July 5, 2008

SEBRING — The number of school expulsion recommendations nearly doubled in the 2007-'08 school year compared to the previous year after drug-related incidents increased more than threefold.

About 135 expulsion recommendations were made in the 2007-'08 school year, including 68 that were drug- or alcohol-related. The 2006-'07 school year had 70 expulsion recommendations with 20 that were drug or alcohol-related.

The drug/alcohol-related expulsion recommendations in 2007-08 included: 16 possession of marijuana, 11 possession of alcohol, 16 possession of prescription medication and seven for reasonable suspicion of drug or alcohol use.

Patricia Jackson, director of student services, said Wednesday that the drug and alcohol-related numbers are up in part because of two incidents involving multiple students.

In May, at Avon Park Middle School, seven students were involved in "huffing" or breathing fumes from Dust-Off, a cleaning spray for electronic devices.

At Sebring Middle School, a student brought in a prescription drug and shared it with other students, leading to eight expulsion referrals.

Jackson believes expulsion recommendations are coming from teachers and staff spotting more activities.

"I think our staff is more alert to look at what's going on in the schools," she said.

Random drug testing, with a total of 1,230 tests of middle and high school students, yielded six students who tested positive for drug use.

After a school administrator recommends the expulsion of a student, Jackson meets with the student and parents to offer enrollment at the Academy at Youth Care Lane as an alternative to expulsion. If the parents or students turn down the academy program, then the student is expelled from school for a prescribed period of time.

The expulsion recommendations for the 2007-08 by category follows:

- 68 – drug or alcohol related.

- 18 – multiple discipline referrals, which is an accumulation of offenses as opposed to a single violation of the Code of Student Conduct, which warrants an expulsion recommendation.

- 17 – battery on a school official or employee.

- 13 – weapons (no guns).

- 2 – gang-related fights.

- 17 other, which includes vandalism/graffiti, false fire alarm and disruption of a school function.

Marc Valero can be reached at 863-386-5826 or mvalero@highlandstoday.com

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