The North Pike School District will have a new substance abuse policy in place for the upcoming school year after trustees adopted the policy last week.
An issue of contention prior to the policy’s passage on Thursday regarded the number of days violators should be sent to the alternative school and be suspended from extracurricular activities.
Trustees eventually approved a nine-day suspension for violators, who also would be sent to alternative school for a minimum of 15. Violators also would be barred from participating in extracurricular activities for a minimum 45 days. Both school and extracurricular activities suspensions carry a maximum of a year.
For underclassmen who violate the policy near the end of a school term, penalties will carry over into the next school year.
Superintendent Dr. Ben Cox said this morning that the policy does not contain language barring a violator’s participation in graduation ceremonies, but the penalty can be carried out on a case-by-case basis.
“You don’t want to have a rule that’s so strict where you’re actually doing more harm than good,” he said Thursday. “What y’all have done is you’ve taken a long time and thought about this, and right now I think this is the best workable policy we can have on it.”
The policy adds language prohibiting the use, consumption or attempted use and consumption of alcohol or drugs on school grounds.
The policy also aims to punish students who “possess, procure or purchase, to be under the influence” of substances including alcohol, marijuana, hallucinogens and “look-alike” drugs, as well as to prescription and non-prescription medications.
The policy also says students don’t have to be legally intoxicated to be in violation.
The policy covers incidents on school district property, buses, occurrences to and from school, and at school-sponsored functions.
In other business, trustees:
• Approved the $16.9 million 2012-13 budget. The district may raise its millage rate by 1.15 mills during the school year.
The new budget calls for a projected millage increase from 35.76 mills to 36.91 mills, which would raise the annual property taxes on a $100,000 house by $11.50, excluding homestead exemption.
The new budget is down from the $17.2 million 2011-12 budget.
• Honored outgoing Assistant Superintendent Jean Pope with a resolution noting her 35 years of service to the school district.
• Hired GCA Services to handle the district’s janitorial services for the 2012-13 school year. GCA bid $239,229 for the project.
• Approved the transfer of six students from McComb, two from South Pike,one to South Pike, 16 from Amite County, one from Lincoln County and three from Walthall County.
• Hired Glenda Leonard as an assistant principal and intervention coordinator at the elementary school, Emily Young as an elementary school teacher, Anita Ivey and Jerrica Watts as elementary teacher assistants, Kim Boyd as a receptionist at the central office, Dinanne Gutter and Latonya Amos as full-time-cafeteria workers, and Roxanne King and Paulette Alexander as substitute cafeteria workers.
• Accepted resignations from elementary teacher Mary Lou Rhodus, middle school teacher Rita Denise Magee and bus driver LaGene Deer.
• Approved the disposal of a Superstack 3824 switch, three Acer LCD projectors, eight Acer computers, a Dean gas fryer and a Vulcan gas range.
