District steps up drug enforcement
Published: Friday, November 20, 2009
Updated: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 11:44 AM CST
Updated: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 11:44 AM CST
Operating under the guise of a routine intruder drill, Farmington High School was the scene of a drug sweep Monday afternoon.
The Farmington Police Department and Mineral Area Drug Task Force joined school officials in making a cursory search of lockers and common areas using drug-sniffing dogs. While the canine searchers showed signs of possible drugs more than once, further searching reportedly turned up no significant finds.
District officials said the purpose for taking such action was for two reasons. First, they may be able to save a student’s life. Second, they want drugs out of the school.
“The Farmington High School went on lockdown Monday afternoon in an effort to eradicate drugs from the building. The dogs came up with a couple of hits and those items were searched but nothing was found,” said interim Superintendent Jerome Watson afterward.
Watson said as they ran the drug dogs through, random classrooms were emptied and personal items were left behind to be searched.
District officials believed some people will likely be critical of the district for taking this action. Some, it was said, don’t believe that kids in Farmington get involved in drugs and drug use. But recent events like the drug-related deaths of two recent FHS graduates show otherwise. Watson said the district could stick its head in the sand and deny that a problem exists, but they refuse to live with that.
Monday’s surprise search is one of many actions the school district is taking. Officials are reviewing the contents of the district’s drug prevention curriculum. They’re also reviewing the kinds of relationships the faculty has with students when it comes to open conversation, what they can do to provide useful information to parents, and how they are working with law enforcement.
The district hopes to identify students who want, need, or are sometimes silently asking for help, before something terrible happens to them.
Watson said the district is hoping to set up parent information meetings for parents to talk and get information about drugs. The are also looking for parents to gather with police officers and brainstorm ideas on the current drug situations in the area. Also, the district will discuss drug-related topics during professional development training in coming months.
The district is welcoming parental involvement. Officials are asking that anyone who wants to help be a part of the solution contact their child’s building principal or school counselor and offer time or expertise.
Watson added that he would like to thank the high school staff for the patience and professionalism they displayed during the lengthy search on Monday.
The Farmington Police Department and Mineral Area Drug Task Force joined school officials in making a cursory search of lockers and common areas using drug-sniffing dogs. While the canine searchers showed signs of possible drugs more than once, further searching reportedly turned up no significant finds.
District officials said the purpose for taking such action was for two reasons. First, they may be able to save a student’s life. Second, they want drugs out of the school.
“The Farmington High School went on lockdown Monday afternoon in an effort to eradicate drugs from the building. The dogs came up with a couple of hits and those items were searched but nothing was found,” said interim Superintendent Jerome Watson afterward.
Watson said as they ran the drug dogs through, random classrooms were emptied and personal items were left behind to be searched.
District officials believed some people will likely be critical of the district for taking this action. Some, it was said, don’t believe that kids in Farmington get involved in drugs and drug use. But recent events like the drug-related deaths of two recent FHS graduates show otherwise. Watson said the district could stick its head in the sand and deny that a problem exists, but they refuse to live with that.
Monday’s surprise search is one of many actions the school district is taking. Officials are reviewing the contents of the district’s drug prevention curriculum. They’re also reviewing the kinds of relationships the faculty has with students when it comes to open conversation, what they can do to provide useful information to parents, and how they are working with law enforcement.
The district hopes to identify students who want, need, or are sometimes silently asking for help, before something terrible happens to them.
Watson said the district is hoping to set up parent information meetings for parents to talk and get information about drugs. The are also looking for parents to gather with police officers and brainstorm ideas on the current drug situations in the area. Also, the district will discuss drug-related topics during professional development training in coming months.
The district is welcoming parental involvement. Officials are asking that anyone who wants to help be a part of the solution contact their child’s building principal or school counselor and offer time or expertise.
Watson added that he would like to thank the high school staff for the patience and professionalism they displayed during the lengthy search on Monday.
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