In an effort to curb the growing number of suspensions for marijuana-related offenses, the Petaluma City Schools Board is considering using drug-sniffing dogs on its high-school campuses.
The proposal was presented to the school board at its meeting on Feb. 14, but no action was taken as the board seeks input from the community on the plan.
"We want to see if it is an option to help us deal with a growing problem," School Board President Mary Schafer said.
The proposal is to allow the school district to use specially trained dogs from the Petaluma Police Department on campuses on a random basis.
"The dogs would only be used in empty hallways, rooms and parking lots" Schafer noted. "They would not be used where students are present. It would be very random."
Petaluma Police Lt. Mike Cook, who supervises the Petaluma Police Department's K-9 units, said police are willing to discuss the proposals. "We would be willing to consider it if their was the right support for its use as a preventive measure," he said. "There are a lot of things that would have to be worked out prior to any implementation."
The Petaluma Police department has three dogs who are dual trained both in patrol work and in drug detection.
"They find drugs that are hidden in vehicles, containers and buildings, but our dogs are not used to search persons," Cook said.
"This is not a &‘Got-ya' strategy," said Dave Rose, director of student services for the school district. "We want it to be another preventive strategy.
"If we get more police on campus, it could serve as a deterrent and if the students know the search could happen it could also be a deterrent," he added.
Schafer said the board this year has noticed a dramatic increase in the number of students suspended or expelled for drug-related offenses such as being under the influence of, or possession of, drugs on campus. The majority of the drug-related problems involve possession of marijuana.
According to data prepared by Rose, there were 77 suspensions totaling 322 days and 19 expulsions during the first 69 days of the current school year. This compares to 52 suspensions for 250 school days and seven expulsions over the same period in the 2010-2011 school year.
Over the last five years, the number of suspensions involving possession or use of drugs has jumped from 54 in 2006-2007 to 127 in 2010-2011.
"The attitude of some people is that marijuana is no big deal," said Linda Scheele, Casa Grande High School principal. "We think it is a very big deal."
Rose agrees. "The impact of drugs on a young developing brain is something that is alarming to us," he said. "It is much greater than the impact on a developed brain."
School officials maintain that the increase of marijuana on school grounds is related to the easier availability of the drug in the community made possible by the prevalence of medicinal marijuana.
"That is absolutely the case," said Scheele. "Marijuana use is positively increasing because of medicinal marijuana."
"As I review the five-day suspensions, the majority of the students tell me they are getting the marijuana from a family member, friend or neighbor who has been recommended for medicinal use of marijuana," said Rose.
He also pointed out that the rise in number of suspensions for marijuana on campus coincides with both the increasing availability of marijuana and the removal of on-campus school resource officers necessitated by budget cuts.
"They were a very big deterrent to not just marijuana, but other campus problems," Cook said.
He said the police department has noticed the same trend in the community. "We're seeing the same increase in society in the availability and abuse of marijuana as they are," he explained.
In addition to the impacts on the students and families directly involved, the increase in marijuana suspensions is affecting the entire school district.
"It is taking resources from what we do - educating children," said school board member Troy Sanderson. "It is regrettable that this small group of students are putting such a drain on our resources."
Scheele, who describes herself as "100 percent in favor of the proposal," said that by the time the investigation, paperwork, lesson planning and other administrative work is done, the suspension process adds up to the equivalent of a full-time staff member.
Rose points out that Santa Rosa schools, this year, implemented a similar program and that Healdsburg and Cloverdale Schools already have drug-sniffing dog programs in place.
Rose said the school board isn't specifically implementing the program, but revising its Search and Seizure Policy to allow the district to have drug-sniffing dogs visit campuses on random days.
Rose said students will be advised of the program and how it works before the dogs show up on campus. "We'll have an assembly and demonstration first. We'll show the students what the dogs can and can't do," he explained.
Before taking any action, the school board would like to get more input from the community.
"We want to hear from the public," Schafer said. "We'll have at least one more discussion and we may have a third."
The proposal is expected to be on the school board agenda when it meets Feb. 28 in the board room at the district offices, 200 Douglas St.
(Contact John Jackson at johnie.jackson@arguscourier.com)
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