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Tobacco-free schools on hold until draft policy is fine-tuned
By Derek Hodges
Though local school officials emphasized that they plan to outlaw tobacco on school property, that move will have to wait at least a month.
At the suggestion of board attorney Paul Holt, school board members Monday (May 20) voted during their regular meeting to table a policy that would make school campuses completely tobacco-free – even during football games and other athletic contests.
Holt said he is concerned that the policy does not address possible consequences for faculty and staff caught using tobacco on campus.
“If you’re going to put this policy in the school handbook, I think the punishments need to be in the school handbook, too,” Holt said.
The policy suggested several possible repercussions for employees, which “may include verbal warning, written reprimand or termination.”
Holt questioned whether there would be a systemwide policy or if each school would set their own guidelines. He said he worries discrepancies between punishments given may lead to lawsuits.
Board member Ali Laird-Large suggested school leaders appoint a committee to consider the issue. Board members agreed to ask Laird-Large, Superintendent Sue Nations, Health and Physical Education Coordinator Larry McDonald, Smoky Mountain High School Principal Alex Bell and School Health Advisory Council Co-Chairman Becky Olson to serve on the committee. The group is expected to make recommendations during the next board meeting on Monday, June 26.
Before the decision to table, board members heard from several students who support the proposed ban.
Shannon Murphy, a member of “Students Against Destructive Decisions” at Smoky Mountain High School, likened students’ exposure to second-hand smoke at school to “slowly being murdered.”
“We believe by making our schools smoke-free, we can save lives,” Murphy said.
Kaitlyn Brahmer, a member of SMHS’s “Straight Up” group, said that with 71 of North Carolina’s 115 school systems carrying a tobacco-free policy, it’s time Jackson County had one, too.
“I believe that Jackson County needs to step up,” she said.
Cutting students’ exposure to smoke will lead to fewer sick days and improve attendance, Brahmer said.
The policy addresses more than smoke, as smokeless tobacco will also be banned.
“It’s more of a sanitation issue with adults with smokeless tobacco,” board member Mark Brooks said.
Despite the voting delay, school officials will likely adopt the policy, Brooks said.
“I think there’s support here from this board to implement this policy,” Brooks said.
In other action May 22:
Public comment
In an unusual move, school board member Ali Laird-Large spoke during the public comments part of the meeting.
Laird-Large said she left her seat to speak as a member of the public due to a letter and editorial in last week’s Sylva Herald.
“I’ve made it a constant rule not to say anything about newspaper articles because I don’t want my name in the paper,” Laird-Large said. “I feel some of my comments have been taken out of context.”
Laird-Large said she was criticized by a letter writer for not discussing equity issues regarding a potential pay increase for a Smoky Mountain High School coach. The writer said school officials ignore Blue Ridge School and refer to SMHS as “the high school.”
“I’m well aware that we have three high schools in this area,” Laird-Large said, pointing out that both union (K-12) school Blue Ridge and the School of Alternatives have high school grades.
Laird-Large said she mentioned Blue Ridge in her comments during the discussion that focused on the SMHS coaching position.
Laird-Large also took aim at a Herald editorial calling on school officials to consider constructing a middle school.
“We have tried in this county to discuss middle schools,” she said. “Support was overwhelming in every district to keep the K-8 and K-12 schools.”
School board member Mark Brooks’ comments on the need for a middle school were reported in a front-page article last week, though Laird-Large did not mention Brooks’ statements.
Brooks declined comment Tuesday on Laird-Large’s statement.
“She did that (during the) public comment (period), and board members don’t respond to public comment, so I don’t have a comment,” Brooks said.
Dropout rate
Nations has been leading a group discussing Jackson County’s rising dropout rate, and she presented some findings and possible solutions to school board members.
“That is a concern to me, that we seem to be in a trend of an increasing dropout rate,” Nations said. “There are a lot of programs in place to address kids who are struggling. We’ve been looking at what else we can do.”
A report released earlier this year by the state’s Board of Education shows an increase in Jackson County’s dropout rate over the last year, even as the state’s overall rate declined. Between 2003-04 and 2004-05 Jackson County’s dropouts rose from 6.04 percent to 7.51 percent – a total of 90 students or one in every 13 of the county’s nearly 1,200 high school students. However, that number dropped from 4.86 percent to 4.74 percent statewide in the same time period. Counties surrounding Jackson also experienced a decrease, according to the report.
Nations cited state statistics showing 33 percent of students who withdraw from school do so in the ninth grade. In the past, Nations told The Herald the stress of transferring from elementary to high school may be overwhelming to some students. She also pointed out Monday night that 33 students in next year’s freshman class will turn 16 during their first year of high school. Reaching the dropout age that early can be a negative influence on a student, Nations said.
To get to the point where they can turn 16 during their freshman year, a student generally would have to be held back at least once or twice in elementary school, Nations said. In order to keep those students and others who fall behind in high school from giving up on education, school officials are considering allowing students to graduate with only 21 credits. That’s a decrease from the current requirement of 28 credits.
Cutting that number would allow students to finish high school in three years and allow those who fall behind to finish with or shortly behind their class, Nations said.
“This is not a fast track for students to get out in three years,” she said. “This is an option for those students who have fallen behind but still want to get that diploma.”
State law requires only 20 credits for graduation, Nations said.
“This is not a novel idea; other school systems around us are doing this,” she said. “We want to be thoughtful with it. We want it to be a successful program. You’ve got the kids that sit in front of you today, while you try to figure out how to solve this problem for the future.”
While this first proposed solution only deals with a high school issue, school leaders plan to broaden their efforts to deal with the dropout problem, Nations said.
“This isn’t just a high school issue,” she said. “We want to do everything we can to keep kids in school.”
Diploma requirements
Assistant Superintendent Steve Jones presented a policy proposal that would enact new standards for graduation.
The rules, which have already been adopted by several surrounding counties, would require high school students to achieve a Level III or higher on end-of-course tests in grades 9-12 in order to pass those courses, Jones said.
Board members are expected to vote on the proposal during their next meeting. If enacted, the rules would apply to students currently in high school, who would have to achieve Level III or higher on all future tests, though past tests would not be held to that standard, Jones said.
Wellness policy
Child Nutrition Director Donna Bommer presented a sample policy on student wellness from the N.C. School Board Association.
The proposal addresses several areas of wellness, including limiting foods available to students to healthy choices, and integrating physical and nutrition education into the curriculum.
One part of the policy that drew some questions from board members addresses school fund-raisers. It states that school officials should discourage the sale of unhealthy foods as fund-raisers and that sales involving food items may not be conducted at school.
“I know that kids are always selling things for their trips, and cookie dough and candy bars are real popular, but if you have other ideas you can suggest them,” Nations told Bommer.
SCC appointment
School officials voted to reappoint Quayle Neslen to serve as the school system’s representative on the Southwestern Community College Board of Trustees.
Upcoming meeting
Board members will meet with county commissioners at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 30, in the Science Building at Smoky Mountain High School.
The meeting will focus on budget discussions and the approval of bids for the next phase of construction at SMHS.
Field trips
School officials approved several field trips, including SMHS New Century Scholars to the N.C. Zoo in Asheboro June 21-22, Cades Cove, Tenn., June 27-29, Cataloochee Valley July 26-28, Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta Aug. 1-2, and Walt Disney World, Orlando, Fla., Aug. 14-18; School of Alternatives middle school students to Clingmans Dome, Tenn., May 23; School of Alternatives high school students to Cherokee for a camping trip May 24-25; SMHS HOSA participants to the National Leadership Conference in Anaheim, Calif., June 20-26; and Cullowhee Valley School third-grade students to the Math-A-Thon competition in Atlanta June 13.
Personnel
Board members approved the following personnel changes:
– Retirement requests from Frances Mincey and Carol LaTorre, both of Cullowhee Valley Elementary; Sandra Burns and Sherry Hooper, both of Smokey Mountain Elementary; and Carol Ann Tippett and Rick Frizzell, both of Smoky Mountain High School.
– Resignations of Sara Glotzbach and Karen Yanchunis, both teachers at Blue Ridge School; Phyllis McGaha, ECP transportation driver, and Donna Varnadore, food services, both of Cullowhee Valley School; Jennifer Patten, a teacher at Fairview School; John Connell, custodian at SMHS; and Christina Spatharos, summer day camp and after-school program, and Kathleen Ensley, cafeteria, both of Scotts Creek School.
– Employment of Miranda Spangler, summer school program director, and Carol Buchanan, part-time school nurse, both at Blue Ridge; Adam Holt, summer academy at Scotts Creek; Deanna Kulesz, summer camp and after-school staff, Tiffany James, summer camp, and Jennifer Williamson, summer camp, all at Fairview; and Michelle Galloway, kindergarten teacher, Christy Pruett, first-grade teacher, and Donna Johnston, first-grade teacher, all at Smokey Mountain Elementary School.
– Jeremiah Wolfe as a Cherokee language substitute at Smokey Mountain Elementary.
– Sharon Ferguson, Thomas Downing, Stephanie Brown and Jennifer Williamson as bus drivers.
– Amy Manshack as a non-staff JV cheerleading coach at SMHS.
– Tenure for Virginia Proffitt, Blue Ridge School; Alan Painter, countywide; Melanie McCord and Gregory Wike, both at Cullowhee Valley School; Tracy Bell, Nina Chadwick, Elizabeth Dunlap, Vyanne Fisher and Julie Thompson, all at Fairview; Margaret Emmanual and Gina Vernault, both at Scotts Creek; and Rae Bachus, Tracy Brandt, Kim Hardy, Mary Henson and Gary Thomas, all at SMHS.
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