OUR GOAL: SAFE AND DRUG FREE SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES

 

           

 

The Tangipahoa Parish School System rec­ognizes that students and employees need to have a safe and drug free environment in which to learn and work. This need has been encouraged and supported in recent years with the passage of both federal and state legislation that provides for severe conse­quences to students and adults who choose to bring weapons, including but not limited to knives and guns, and controlled substances to any school campus, school bus or site of a school sponsored event. Therefore, the Tan­gipahoa Parish School Board is committed to enforcing statutes that have been estab­lished to help schools accomplish the goal of making all schools free of drugs, violence, and the unauthorized presence of firearms and alcohol.

If this goal is to become a reality, it is essen­tial that students accept personal responsi­bility for their behavior and parents become actively involved in the education of their children. The Louisiana legislature believes so strongly in parental involvement that the principal or his/her designee is now required to file a complaint with a court exercising ju­risdiction if parents choose not to attend a requested meeting. Parents are urged to at­tend all conferences to which you are invited by administrators or teachers so that a com­plaint will not have to be filed.

The legislature has established the following procedures for administrators to follow when disciplining students who choose to bring weapons or drugs to a school, on a school bus or to a school sponsored event:

1.    A student under age 16 shall be expelled from school for a minimum period of two complete semesters if, after a hearing, he/she is found guilty of being in possession of a illegal drugs on school property, on a school bus or at a school sponsored event. In addition, he/she shall be referred to the district attorney for appropriate action. If the student is guilty of possession of a fire­arm on school property, on as school bus or at a school sponsored event, he shall be expelled for four complete semesters.

2.    Any student, sixteen years of age or older, found guilty of possession of, or knowl­edge of, intentional distribution of, or possession with intent to distribute any illegal narcotic, drug or other controlled substance on school property, on a school bus or at a school sponsored event shall be expelled from school for a minimum of four complete school semesters.

3.    Any student arrested for possession of, intentional distribution of, or possession with intent to distribute any illegal nar­cotic, drug, or other controlled substance on school property shall be referred by the school principal or his designee, within five days after such arrest, for testing or screening by a qualified medical profes­sional for evidence of abuse of alcohol, il­legal narcotics, drugs or other controlled dangerous substances. The decision re­garding which medical professional to use shall be made by the parent or guardian of the arrested student.

In lieu of expulsion, students who are ar­4. rested for possession of, intentional dis­tribution of, or possession with intent to distribute any illegal narcotic drug, or other controlled substance on school property that participate in a Juvenile Drug Court Program may be allowed to attend an alternative school if available. Juvenile Drug Court is a comprehensive approach of accountability and services that last 12 months. The program includes frequent ju­dicial monitoring with urine drug screens, court visits, and face-to-face visits with the judge combined with ongoing treat­ment that includes individual/family coun­seling, education, mentoring, and life skill development. The City Court of Hammond and the Twenty-first Judicial District Court currently operate successful drug court programs.