Snyder ISD officials are taking drug use seriously in schools.
Superintendent Jim Kirkland said the district is in the process of implementing the Substance Abuse Prevention/Intervention Program. A webinar for parents will be held in the near future to educate parents about the program.
“I would be naive as a school superintendent if I believed that Snyder ISD doesn’t have a drug problem,” Kirkland said. “If we have one child doing illegal drugs, we have a problem. And I know from firsthand experience we have significantly more than just one.”
That was one of the reasons for beginning the program.
“We intend to do what we can to mitigate the use of drugs and alcohol by the students of Snyder ISD,” Kirkland said, adding the program has three goals.
The first goal is to provide for the health and safety of students and the second is to mitigate the effects of peer pressure by providing a legitimate reason for students to refuse the use of drugs or alcohol.
The third goal is to encourage students who have used drugs or alcohol to participate in drug intervention counseling.
Kirkland said the program will have five different components.
The first is a drug curriculum offered at Snyder Intermediate School and Snyder Junior High School. The curriculum will include descriptions of the various categories of drugs, recognizing the negative effects of alcohol and drugs and good decision-making skills.
Another component will be enhanced use of drug sniffing dogs, especially at Snyder High School and Snyder Junior High School, Kirkland said.
An enhanced drug testing program will also be introduced at the high school and junior high school.
“Currently, we are testing extracurricular participants only, but we are looking to add, by board policy, both students issued parking permits and students volunteered by their parents,” Kirkland said.
A parent who volunteers a child for testing will have to pay for the test. However, Kirkland said the results will only be known to the parent and students.
“The school district will not receive the results,” he said.
A drug and alcohol offender education program will be provided and will be required attendance for any student who is referred to DAEP for drug/alcohol violations or any student who tests positive during the random drug testing.
The program will consist of five one-hour modules, with one held each week. The modules will be held outside the school day and will be led by instructor Ernest Munoz, who recently completed his certification for drug offender education.
The students must complete all five modules, Kirkland said.
The final component of the program covers discipline.
“If a student incurs two or more drug-related discipline offenses within one calendar year, it will result in a referral to the juvenile justice office with the possibility of placement in a drug rehab facility, in lieu of expulsion from Snyder ISD,” Kirkland said.
Kirkland said the community needs to help fight the drug problems in schools.
“The drug issue is just one of the many things that public education has to deal with now, virtually like never before,” he said. “We, as parents, educators and yes Americans have so much at stake in trying to rid our schools and society of this scourge. We must do all that we can. We have no choice.”