Pubdate: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 Source: Daily Advance, The (Elizabeth City, NC) Copyright: 2008 Cox Newspapers, Inc. Contact: http://www.dailyadvance.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1700 Author: Zac Goldstein Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing) PARENT: NOTIFY PARENTS WHEN DRUGS FOUND AT SCHOOL A Perquimans parent says the school system should do more to notify parents when drugs are found in the schools, but school officials say they are communicating well enough. Christina Blake, mother of a student at Perquimans County Middle School, said she was upset that school officials did not notify her when cocaine was discovered earlier in the school year. "When there's lice found in school, they contact us," she said. "When there's a terrorist routine, they contact us. When there's an outbreak of the flu, they contact us." According to a report to law enforcement from Perquimans County Schools, a teacher discovered a middle school student playing with something in his pocket on Sept. 18, 2007. The student turned over the item to the teacher, who brought the matter to the principal. The student was questioned and the school resource officer tested the substance, which proved to be cocaine. Blake said her son shared a class with the student. Had she been told about the cocaine in a timely fashion, she said she would have given her son a drug test to verify he hadn't used any of it before it was confiscated. "It's not right," she said. "We have a right to know. We need to be made aware when drugs are found on school property." Brenda Lassiter, public information officer for Perquimans County Schools, said parents would have been notified if there was a continuous and ongoing drug problem. However, she said Principal Jamie Liverman determined the drug find was an isolated incident. She said Liverman did everything required by state and local policy when he notified law enforcement. "If the communication would have helped in any way, it would have been made," Lassiter said. "In this particular instance, there was nothing to be gained by communicating the drug find. It was an isolated case; it was reported to law enforcement; it was reported to the superintendent and the student was disciplined according to board policy." Dwayne Stallings, Perquimans superintendent, said drug finds are public record and are filed with the sheriff's department. He also said parents who are concerned about the safety of the schools can join the district's safe schools committees. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake