Substance Abuse Policy Changes in the Works at Verona Schools

Does the Verona school board have jurisdiction over its students in regard to substance abuse issues even when an occurrence happens off campus?

This issue and the subsequent revisions to its substance abuse policy were discussed at the Verona Board meeting Tuesday night.

Following a successful parental court challenge in the Ramapo Indian Hills school district, the Verona Board of Education decided to look at their policy to analyze if it was compliant with state regulations.

Board Vice President Joseph Bellino, along with board member Glenn Elliott, headed an ad hoc committee comprised of faculty, parents, administrators and the Verona Police Juvenile Officer to determine if their policies could hold up to legal scrutiny.

Bellino reported while the Code of Conduct is listed in the student handbook, it was never transferred electronically to the district's website and can not be considered an active policy.

As for the substance abuse policy, it was determined it currently is not compliant. While the school board attorney advised the committee to not make revisions until after an appeal by the Ramapo Indian Hills School Board, the Verona Board agreed if they did not change the existing policy, they would be in violation of current law.

While the ad hoc committee would only summarize its findings with the final decision left to the school board, Elliott did say as a school board member the board needs to "draft a policy that reflects current statutes."

The board decided the policy should be rewritten to state the board would not get involved with reports of substance abuse that occur off campus unless the "health, safety, and welfare of the student or others" is threatened. It was noted in the case of off-campus substance abuse, once a student is legally charged, the Verona police are required to inform the board.

Currently, the substance abuse policy states, "A pupil who uses, possesses or distributes a substance, on or off school premises, will be subject to discipline." Based on the level of the offense, discipline as stated in current policy, could include suspension or expulsion.

 "Substance" is defined as alcoholic beverages, controlled dangerous substances, including anabolic steroids, and other chemical or chemical compounds, including over-the-counter and prescription medications that are improperly used to cause intoxication.

Board President John Quattrocchi said the district is "in the education business, not in the discipline business." In keeping with the board's legal responsibility to safeguard the health, safety and welfare of students, Quattrocchi said suspension should only be given in order for students to get medical help and counseling for a substance abuse problem. "Suspension should be used for corrective action," he said.

As for disciplining by taking away extracurricular activities, Bellino informed the  Board the courts decided with the Ramapo Indian Hills case these activities are not privileges but part of the school function, and can be taken away from students primarily just for medical reasons. 

The board noted a base set of guidelines should be written for every sport, rather than the individual rules currently in place. However, coaches can add to these guidelines as warranted.

Bellino also noted the substance abuse policy should state clearly how a student could appeal a school board decision. 

The board would like to have a student code of conduct policy and an updated substance abuse policy in place by August before the new school term begins.

Nic Freschi 's "Gap Year"

Nic Freschi had already accepted a position in the freshman class of the College of New Jersey after graduating from in 2011. However, after he was invited to apply for a Global Citizen post, he spent a "gap year" living in Equador and teaching English. 

While in Ecuador, Freschi lived on a farm with a host family, rode a horse to his job in a local school, rose at 6 a.m. to help milk cows, learned to speak Spanish fluently and boosted his self confidence.

As part of his commitment to Global Citizen, Freschi made a presentation to the board, as well as to current high school students, about his year abroad.

While speaking to board members and guests, Freschi noted, "Everyone in this room is in the top 2% of the world's wealthiest people. Less than 1% of this group will interact with the remaining world to see how they live."

In addition to his work in Equador, Freschi also attended seminars with other Global Citizen participants who were placed in different countries. Freschi encouraged all high school graduates to take a "gap year" in between high school and college, noting many colleges encourage this experience.

"It was a breath of fresh air, such a postive, maturing experience," he said.

Other Board Business

Superintendent Steven Forte announced preliminary HSPA scores indicate a positive trend in students achieving either "Proficient or Advanced Proficient" in Math. A full report of HSPA scores will be presented once all results are compiled.

Forte also noted Verona High School was ranked as one of the top 1,000 US high schools, according to a Newsweek magazine survey. Verona ranked 775 on such factors as high school graduation rate, college matriculation, SAT scores and AP course offerings.

The next board meeting will be a joint meeting with the Verona Council on Tuesday, June 4 at the Verona Community Center. The public portion of the meeting will begin at 7 p.m.