The Fort Benton School District is one of the latest schools statewide looking to update its policy on drugs and alcohol use by students participating in extracurricular activities.
Most high schools around the state have policies issuing some sort of punishment for students involved in athletics or extracurricular activities who choose to consume alcohol or drugs, or use tobacco. The degree of punishment depends on the district.
Joe Brott, director of policy services for the Montana School Boards Association, said he has been approached in recent years by districts looking to tighten their policies — and in some cases institute mandatory drug testing — because they are experiencing an increase in use of drugs and alcohol among students.
Fort Benton Superintendent Scott Chauvet said his district isn’t looking at drug testing, but rather wants to add language to its policy to include a lesser punishment for students who self-report illegal behavior.
A first violation of the policy currently results in a suspension for the rest of the season and enrollment in a 10-hour substance abuse course, regardless of whether students turn themselves in. The district would like to change the language for students who self-report violations to a suspension of three event weeks of extra-curricular activities and enrollment in substance abuse training.
Chauvet said the issue has long been looked at by Fort Benton school trustees, but the trustees were propelled into action when allegations surfaced over Christmas break that a number of student athletes had been drinking.
He said that in the Christmas break case, his hands were somewhat tied because no citations for minors in possession of alcohol were issued, so he had to depend on students to turn themselves in as a way to resolve the issue. Some did; some didn’t.