Pubdate: Thu, 02 Mar 2006
Source: Pottstown Mercury (PA)
Copyright: 2006 PowerOne Media, Inc
Contact: 24 North Hanover Street, Pottstown, PA 19464
Website: http://www.pottstownmercury.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2287
Note: each article has a link to 'Voice Your Opinion On This'
Author: Evan Brandt
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

POTTSGROVE EXPELS 7 STUDENTS IN 1 NIGHT

LOWER POTTSGROVE -- Six months into the academic year,  the 
Pottsgrove School District has already expelled 14  students -- seven 
of them Tuesday night.

Throughout all of the last academic year, the district  expelled 12 students.

Assistant Superintendent Joseph Bender said three of  those expelled 
Tuesday night were high school students  whose expulsion was the 
result of violations of the  district's drug policy.

On Feb. 8, lockers, classrooms and cars in the  Pottsgrove High 
School parking lot were searched and,  at the time, school officials 
said one student was  charged.

Of the four others expelled Tuesday, three were high  school students 
and one was a middle school student.

The names of the students expelled were not released to  the public 
in order to protect their identities.

Although the law allows parents to request an open  hearing on an 
expulsion, it rarely happens.

All 14 of the Pottsgrove students expelled this year  have been 
enrolled in an alternative education program  the district runs in 
conjunction with the Pottstown  School District, Bender said.

He said the costs of the teachers and program, borne at  taxpayer 
expense, are divided each year between the  districts, based on how 
many students each district  contributes to the program.

John Armato, director of community relations for the  Pottstown 
School District, said this year three  students have been expelled 
from Pottstown schools.

Bender, whose pending retirement was recently  announced, said he did 
not know how to explain the high  number of expulsions in Pottsgrove 
this year. "If I  knew the answer to that, I would be a very rich 
man,"  he said.

The only explanations are the obvious ones, he said.

"Some of our students are making some very unwise  decisions and we 
also have some very alert students and  staff in our schools," Bender said.

"Perhaps some things that previously used to go under  the radar are 
coming to light now, and once we're made  aware of it, obviously, we 
have to act on it," he said.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman