News

I-Team investigation: Caught with Pot

Published August 10, 2018 11:22 AM

More kids are getting caught with pot on campus at our local schools.

The Palm Springs Unified School District has noticed the trend of more students getting their hands on the drug’s many forms since the state legalized recreational marijuana in January.

In an I-Team Investigation, the district is rethinking it’s approach to drug abuse violations.

Administrators have seen a spike in students since January in possession of marijuana edibles, and oils in vaping pens.

Dr. Anne Kalisek PSUSD Executive Director, Student Support Services said, “It’s new, and it’s something students have used before anyway. But they’ve also used Alcohol. It’s just more easily accessible now.”

So the district is changing its expulsion policies to help the students and keep them on campus. They will provide substance abuse prevention curriculum for all students starting in grade four. The district will hire two full-time substance abuse counselors while providing voluntary substance abuse counseling at all middle and high schools.

The education will start young. Fourth graders will read “Sunny’s Story” showing a student’s decline to drug use through the eyes of his dog. The book teaching kids skills to refuse drugs.

The message this book will teach them? Kalisek said, “I think a couple of different things. I think it will teach them what happens to a young person. How their personality changes, and how it’s seen by everybody including in this case, his pet who he loved and grew up with.”

Parent reactions are mixed. Carmen Rodriguez said, “I think it’s a good idea, and it’s not too early to start.”

Another Parent Jessica Dill said, “I think 4th grade is a little bit early, like really early. They can start in middle school because that’s generally when kids are getting caught bringing it on campus.”

Middle school students will now learn drug avoidance strategies and work to identify adults who they can talk to about drug dangers and other risky behaviors.

In high school, students will learn about prescription drug abuse, marijuana, binge drinking, and other drugs.

The district will no longer expel a student until a third drug offense. For a first offense, they’ll receive counseling, then a referral to a mental health therapist if they’re caught again a second time.

Kalisek said, “If they start very young, then chances are it’s going to affect their brain development. That’s going to affect their life-long learning. That will affect how they can be successful in the future.”

This drug abuse problem isn’t unique to Palm Springs. In Colorado, drug-related school expulsions and suspensions jumped 40 percent after recreational marijuana was legalized there.

The Desert Sands Unified School District reports, “marijuana suspensions increased from 216 last year to 327 this year. This is an increase of 51% year-to-year,” said Mary Perry, DSUSD Public Information Officer.

Perry added, “This past spring we implemented a three-tiered support system for students using drugs and/or alcohol.
– First offense: 0-1 day suspension with 4-hour counseling intervention.
– Second offense: 3-day suspension with 9 hours of counseling intervention.
– Third offense: 5-days suspension and possible expulsion. Expulsion would result in possible placement within DSUSD program that is both academically and counseling supported for at least one semester.”

The Coachella Valley Unified School District said it doesn’t track violations by the specific drug, but confirms an increase in suspensions due to “controlled substance violations,” said Norma Rodriguez, CVUSD Director of Child Welfare & Attendance.

In a statement, the Rodriguez said the district is “committed to the use of interventions and alternatives/programs to addressing drug violations. These include but are not limited to on and off-site Substance Abuse Counselors, Parent Conferences, and Community Service.”

“Local schools are still waiting for Proposition 64 dollars– meant to help offset the costs school districts could experience as a result of recreational marijuana legalization. Even when those dollars do come– there’s no clear picture as to what districts will be required to spend those dollars on.”

So to pay for it in the meantime, The district says Palm Springs, Cathedral City, and Rancho Mirage have each committed $100,000 toward funding the anti-drug initiative.

They’re waiting to see from Desert Hot Springs where a funding request will be presented next month. Also from the Desert Healthcare District and the Agua Caliente Band of Mission Indians.

Sandra Lyon, Palm Springs Unified School District Superintendent, says students expelled due to marijuana could have an effect on the district’s statewide rankings. But Lyon added, “we have many other discipline issues that go into that overall measure (e.g. fighting) so I don’t know how much that impact will be. We just hope it helps our kids make good choices while their brains are developing!”

This program’s goal is to educate both students and their parents while providing treatment for students. And keeping them in class will ultimately help the community long-term.