New School Substance Abuse Policy

Reduces Three Strikes To Two

By Larissa Lytwyn

During a special meeting held June 23, the Board of Education voted four to two to approve Newtown High School’s revised substance abuse policy, in which the second offense could result in expulsion.

The 1987 policy, last reviewed with little modification in 1997, has, according to Principal Bill Manfredonia, “outlived its usefulness.”

Under the original policy, the first offense resulted in a two-day external suspension and a 21-day suspension from extracurricular activities; the second offense, a five-day external suspension and 45- day exclusion from activities, as well as parental notification and required substance abuse assessment.

The third offense was an administrative recommendation for expulsion.

The new policy, which Mr Manfredonia said he was “passionately in favor of,” is condensed into a first and second offense.

It was composed with the input of school administrators and substance abuse experts, including Superintendent of Schools Evan Pitkoff, Assistant Superintendent of Schools Alice Jackson, and district health coordinator Judy Blanchard.

The first offense requires students to “undergo a substance abuse assessment by a qualified agency” and suspension from extracurricular activities for 90 days.

In addition, said Mr Manfredonia, “a key piece” would be that parents would also be required “to participate in education about substance abuse, the stages of addiction, and parent resources.”

“Under our current policy, when we have a student with a first offense, we often have parents that are shocked and aren’t sure how to handle the situation,” the principal noted.

Including parental education, he said, could address this concern.

This year, 32 students violated the current policy’s first-time offense. From this number, 14 became involved in a second offense and one, possibly two, students were eventually recommended for expulsion.

“Out of 1,600 students, I could say that the [current] policy is pretty effective,” said board member Paul Mangiafico.

Board members Tom Gissen and David Nanavaty shared this sentiment.

“On the first offense level, we are having 97 to 98 percent of students who are not having this problem,” Mr Gissen said.

At the same time, Mr Gissen acknowledged Mr Manfredonia’s supreme confidence in the revised policy. Mr Gissen also reflected on a letter supporting the new policy signed by every department chair.

In sharing the letter with board members, Mr Manfredonia noted, “These department chairs are very independent thinkers.”

Still, Mr Gissen was concerned about several inconsistencies in the policy, such as the inclusion of tobacco under classification of illegal substances.

While it is illegal to smoke in public buildings, including schools, students are not forbidden to share or possess cigarettes on school grounds.

In contrast, alcohol or controlled substance use is illegal not only in use but in cases of possession or distribution.

The board was uncertain whether the inclusion of tobacco was required under the state-mandated definition of illegal substances.

Mr Gissen also said he hesitated to support a 90-day suspension from extracurricular activities because he believed such activities could be the only “glue” keeping the student together.

But Mr Manfredonia characterized the exclusion from activities as a necessary consequence.

Mr Gissen also expressed concern on whether any administrative body could enforce the parental education piece of the proposed policy’s first offense.

“What do we do if they simply refuse?” Mr Gissen said.

Mr Nanavaty said he supported the current policy and did not think it should be changed.

“People who have problems of this nature can relapse,” he said, “and we do not want these young people to be expelled.”

Mr Manfredonia said that the board could use its discretion in exploring the possibility of an expulsion by considering factors including family circumstances or mental health issues.

“I would not do something that would not be in the best interest of our students,” Mr Manfredonia said. “While I would empathize with the offender, at the second offense, I would also consider their influence on the student body.”

Chairman Elaine McClure concurred, noting that a repeat offender could pose a danger to the rest of the students.

But Mr Nanavaty said he believed that the current policy was successfully “filtering” first-time offenders whose use was experimental from those with more serious issues.

He also expressed grave concerns over students who voluntarily disclosed their problems with substance abuse to staff. “I understand that you are trying to reward students for coming forward and admitting their problem,” Mr Nanavaty said.

However, he said he was concerned over the appropriateness of penalizing a student who admitted their problem while they were drunk or high, immediately falling into the first offense category.

Mr Nanavaty also expressed uncertainty over confidentiality issues.

“What if a student who is using, and is under the influence, confides in a school counselor about their problem?” he queried. He argued that under the guidelines of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 [HIPPA], confidentiality could be guaranteed to that student.

Regardless, Mr Manfredonia said, school staff members are under administrative decree to share information about substance use on school property.

While Ms McClure, Vice Chairman Lisa Schwartz, Secretary Andy Buzzi, and Mr Mangiafico were supportive of the new policy’s two-offense structure, Mr Nanavaty and Mr Gissen each expressed reservations about approving a policy that, according to Mr Nanavaty, needed more than grammatical revision and “polishing.”

Still, Ms McClure said she supported the main concept behind the new policy.

Mr Buzzi agreed. “I think that the core of this policy works,” he said.

Ms McClure, Ms Schwartz, Mr Buzzi, and Mr Mangiafico voted in favor of the revised policy with the amendment of reducing the 90-day exclusion from extracurricular activities to 60 days, as well as some linguistic streamlining.

Though not part of the official motion, Ms McClure assured the board that the board attorney would examine the placement of tobacco within the substance abuse policy.

The new policy, Ms Jackson, would be revised and reviewed during the board’s next meeting on Tuesday, July 6. For more information, contact the Board of Education office at 436-7621.