BY SYDNEY HOOVER
The Kansas Board of Education passed recommendations on disciplinary actions for e-cigarette use in schools in a 9-1 vote during a virtual meeting Tuesday.
Under the recommendations from a task force, students caught with e-cigarettes or other tobacco products in school for the first time would have the products confiscated, parents would be contacted, and students would have a meeting or receive information on tobacco use from school staff. There is an additional option to classify a student as “not in good standing” based on the discretion of the school, disqualifying students from participating in extracurricular activities.
On a second offense, students would participate in a tobacco education program and would be classified as “not in good standing” with the school, and a third offense would require participation in a cessation program.
The board initially heard recommendations from the task force at a March meeting and requested some changes to the original proposal.
“We received some very valuable feedback provided by [the board] that we then incorporated into the document,” said Mark Thompson, a health and physical education consultant for the Department of Education.
Board member Jim Porter expressed concerns over the recommendation to place a student “not in good standing,” as he worried this would lead to more drop-outs.
“I hope that we encourage people to use the student [not] in good standing option very sparingly. Because in most cases, whatever that activity is is what keeps kids involved in school,” Porter said. “So I would hope that that would not be used too aggressively.”
In-school and out-of-school suspensions are not included in recommendations for disciplinary action, as it is not considered “a best practice,” the task force’s document states. Rather, the most effective way to help a teen quit using tobacco products is through counseling and education, according to the CDC.
The document does not directly address recommendations for a student distributing tobacco products, but says schools are encouraged to take into consideration the severity of the offense when determining disciplinary actions.
“We know distribution is a lot different from using, and I guess it’s something the local districts need to work out, and they will,” said board member Ben Jones.
The task force also recommended students begin receiving education on tobacco use, including e-cigarettes, by at least fourth grade from staff who have received training and continued professional development on tobacco education.
The Eudora Times left messages with the Eudora School District for comment.
Reach reporter Sydney Hoover at eudoratimes@gmail.com.
We rely on donations to be able to cover the city of Eudora. Please email us at eudoratimes@gmail.com if you are willing to show your support to continue our journalism.
Comentarios