Student athletes caught drinking or using drugs or tobacco will be given extra chances to get on the right track and return to teams in Mountain Lakes and West Morris Regional. The two districts revised their athletic codes of conduct this fall mandating student-athletes who violate the rules undergo drug and alcohol assessment by either a school's assistance counselor or a private facility in order to eventually return to a team. At least half-a-dozen local districts have in recent months taken a second look at their athletic codes of conduct, which hold students accountable for their behavior both in and out of school. [continues 690 words]
Canine Unit Conducts Random Sweeps in Schools One student would leave a stash of drugs at the edge of the school parking lot. Another student left a packet of drugs in the woods on the walk to school. Neither student would bring their drugs into Morris Hills High School, they told Assistant Principal Joseph Cacciaguida. "They said they were afraid of the dogs coming into school -- they just never knew when the dogs might be there," Cacciaguida said. Morris County is home to the most aggressive school drug sweep campaign in northern New Jersey. Drug-sniffing dogs are used in 14 Morris County high schools to sweep lockers and classrooms as a front-line defense in deterring illegal drug use. By next school year, the number will grow to 16. [continues 1230 words]
While the U.S. Supreme Court mulls the constitutionality of random drug testing for high school students involved in after-school activities, a similar case has bedeviled a Hunterdon County high school since 1999. The board of education at Hunterdon Central Regional High School approved a policy in December 1999 calling for random drug testing of students involved in extracurricular activities and those who have a permit to park on campus. The policy was knocked down as unconstitutional last year by a state Superior Court judge who found that a student's right to privacy superseded drug testing concerns. The case is on appeal, and the school is awaiting a decision by a three-judge state appellate panel. [continues 784 words]
