By Darrell Halen
 

The School Board may revise its policy on drug searches in Pelham schools after concerns were raised about the magnitude of the searches and disruptions caused to students.

During the board’s Wednesday, Jan. 16 meeting, School Board member Linda Mahoney cited the large number of law enforcement agencies that were used when a search was carried out in April at the high school and middle school.

“A little overkill and it wasn’t for anything they found specific,” Mahoney said. “It was scary for these kids. These kids didn’t know what was going on. And that’s what I don’t want to see happen again. It seems like we’re treating our kids guilty until proven innocent.”

Fourteen agencies, including the Pelham Police Department, carried out the searches. A bottle of vodka was found in the car of a 17-year-old boy who allowed administrators to search his car, and marijuana was discovered in the car of a 16-year-old boy after his father permitted a search.

The high school’s fire alarm sounded before the search began, sending students and employees outside.

Drugs searches are typically conducted every year in which dogs “hit” on places where drugs may be located.

Administrators have the right to search lockers. If a dog hits on a car, administrators ask the student for consent to search the vehicle. If the student or car owner refuses to give consent, the matter is turned over to police, according to Dorothy Mohr, school principal.

Dogs are not used to search students.

Mahoney said she is not blind that drugs may be in the high school but said other alternatives that provide a deterrence should be considered, such as having a police officer walk by lockers with a dog once a month.

Student representative Scott Cloutier said once the April search began, no one was concentrating on their school work that day. Instead, they were concentrating on the dogs they could see being used in the parking lot and were worrying if any of their belongings inside the school had been touched.

“To that magnitude, it was an interruption,” he said.

School Board member Eleanor Burton spoke in defense of the searches.

“I don’t think it hurts in this day and age,” she said. “I think we have to protect all the students. If it’s there, we need to find it. I don’t think it hurts to do it once in a while.”

School Board Chairman Bruce Couture said he believes several dogs are used to make the searches go quicker and because there’s a limit to how long each animal is effective.

“I see both sides of the argument, but I certainly think we should always keep ourselves open,” Couture said. “If something is brewing and they know about it and need that force to do it, then I think we should give ourselves that flexibility.”

Superintendent Frank Bass said he and Roxanne Wilson, the assistant superintendent, will review the policy and try to craft a proposed change that would address the concerns they heard during the meeting.