Student forums held on drug use
District addresses drug issues through enforcement, education and information
More than 100 students attended an open forum at BCHS Thursday afternoon to discuss drug use in the high school.
BCHS Assistant Principal Scott Landry talks with students on Thursday, Dec. 8, about the recent drug activity in the high school.
The forum, hosted by BCHS Assistant Principal Scott Landry, provided students the opportunity to talk candidly about the recent arrests of Bethlehem Central students and how they have affected the student body.
Students had suggestions for district officials, such as getting students their own age who have had problems with addiction to come in as speakers. The BC students also suggested a mandatory in-depth class on the ramifications of using and abusing controlled substances.
This second forum – the first was held on Wednesday with members of student government and clubs – came the day after Superintendent Dr. Michael Tebbano discussed with the Board of Education steps he’d like to take to address the recent issues with illegal substances at the high school.
“The school district is really focusing on three major initiatives: enforcement, education and information.” said Tebbano.
Enforcement
“We are hyper-vigilant about enforcement in all of our schools. Students caught with drugs in our schools will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law as well as held accountable to the Student Code of Conduct,” said Tebbano.
“I am also asking the Board of Education to have a serious discussion about reporting to colleges and universities any student who has been suspended for drug abuse, said Tebbano. “I don’t think colleges or universities want to have students who bring that track record into the university.”
Tebbano said the Board will consider adding the notifications to the Student Code of Conduct and will solicit public input on the matter. A copy of the code can be found here.
Tebbano also asked the Board to explore the use of security cameras in and around the High School and Operations and Maintenance building.
“We will also possibly bring in drug dogs to go through the school and there will be more screenings of students, if warranted, to promote the curtailment of this behavior,” he said.
The district continues to work with various law enforcement offices, including the Bethlehem Police, the Albany County Sheriff’s Office and the Albany County District Attorney’s Office.
Education
“We have prosecutors from the DA’s office coming to talk to the students about what the drug penalties are really all about,” said Tebbano, “and to make people aware of the problem of drug abuse not only in our school but in our community.”
The district will continue to host open forums with the student body - like the two last week - where students are encouraged to bring their questions, concerns and comments. The forums are conversational in nature and students are urged to be open and honest with the moderators.
“This isn’t a repeat of the elementary D.A.R.E. class,” said Tebbano. “These are forums for our students and administrators to work together to speak candidly about these issues.”
Information
The Bethlehem Central School District will continue to communicate with parents openly and proactively through email, letters, SNN and the district’s various social media sites. The district’s website, bethlehemschools.org, is updated often with school news and announcements, and it is our hope that district residents will come here first for school news.
The district is also partnering with www.drugfree.org to provide students, staff, parents and other community members an online drug education resource on the BCSD website. The site will contain tips on prevention and intervention of drug abuse for students and parents, and a tool for individuals to ask questions or send us information about drug activity.
“We remain committed to providing our students with a safe and supportive learning environment, and we will try our best to help them make healthy decisions,” said Superintendent Tebbano.