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Editorial
Fair warning
The School Board approved last week specific penalties for possession of contraband substances on school grounds. The policies apply to students, faculty and staff.
The measures enacted last week reinforce specific prohibitions against the possession of alcohol or drugs on school property. Those rules have been in place for years. They are similar to those adopted by most school districts in the United States.
What has been missing in Rappahannock County are specific penalties for those caught with contraband. The policies approved by the School Board address that omission.
The School Board has served notice that drugs, alcohol and learning do not mix, and that it intends to make sure that everyone connected with public schools in Rappahannock County understands that fact.
We commend the board for its stand.
We also commend the board for not differentiating between alcohol and illegal drugs. None of those substances has any business being consumed or distributed in the schools.
Some might argue that, since alcohol is legal for those above the age of 21, its possession should be treated more lightly than possession of other illegal substances.
That is a fallacious argument. Alcohol is also a drug. It, along with nicotine (another legal drug), are the most widely 5 used and abused drugs in this country. They are easily the most popular controlled substances in Rappahannock County.
The fact that parents may use alcohol at home does not in any way excuse its possession by an underage student at school. The reason that the drinking age has been raised from 18 back to 21 is because the irresponsible use of alcohol by teenagers has caused so much death and destruction. The sad experience of every state in the country has been that teenagers, in general, are not mature enough to handle alcohol.
Whether they still use alcohol illegally is beside the point of the School Board’s policy. It has no place in schools. Neither do illegal drugs.
The School Board has clearly stated for many years that substance abuse in the county schools will not be tolerated. It has now, for the first time, put specific penalties in place. No longer is punishment left to the discretion of administrators. Each case will be treated equally, according to the policies, and if the offender is guilty, stiff punishments will be imposed.
That’s the way it should be. Notice has been served, and those disposed to violate the board’s drug policy can now consider the possible consequences of their action. We think that is fair warning.
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