HD47 - The Virginia Plan for Drug-Free Schools

  • Published: 1992
  • Author: Virginia State Crime Commission
  • Enabling Authority: House Joint Resolution 360 (Regular Session, 1991)

Executive Summary:
Delegate Harris requested that a report be developed to encourage school divisions to develop student assistance programs, and promote better drug law enforcement in the schools. He did not recommend or request any changes in existing Virginia law. After meeting with Delegate Harris, it was agreed that the Virginia State Crime Commission could utilize the mandate of HJR 360 to develop a technical assistance manual for local school divisions. Therefore, the final report of HJR 360 does not include any recommendations to amend Virginia law. However, it does include information for the benefit of local school divisions on the following subjects:

1. Student and Employee Drug Policies
2. Search and Seizure on School Properties
3. Drug-Free Zones on School Properties
4. Student Assistance Programs

The recommendations in HJR 360 are directed to the Governor and General Assembly, and to local school boards and superintendents. In general, the recommendations encourage school divisions to upgrade their drug policies, work in cooperation with local and state law enforcement agencies, post drug-free school zone signs and develop their student assistance programs.

The information included in the HJR 360 is the most updated available. The Youth Risk Prevention Office of the Virginia Department of Education supports the distribution of the HJR 360 report to local school divisions as an effective way to assist local school divisions. It best illustrates the Commission's intent to promote drug prevention programs in the schools.

HJR 360 recommendations:

A. School Drug Policies

1. The Virginia Department of Education should offer regular training for the local Drug Act Contacts on the importance of writing student and employee drug policies that comply with .federal and state laws.

2. Local school divisions should appoint expert advisory committees to review annually the divisions' student and employee drug policies, and require annual public review and approval of these policies by the local school board.

B. Search and Seizure on School Properties

1. The Virginia Department of Education and local school divisions should ensure that school employees receive adequate training in the understanding of laws pertaining to schools, including those laws allowing law enforcement agencies to conduct drug investigations and execute search and arrest warrants on school properties.

2. Local school division officials should meet regularly with local law enforcement agency officials to develop mutual guidelines and memoranda of agreement concerning law enforcement officers' access to school properties for the purpose of drug investigations, searches and arrests.

C. Drug-Free Zones on School Properties

1. The Virginia Department of Education and the Department of State Police should include information about the drug-free zone law as it pertains to schools in parent training, school employee training and the student DARE curriculum to promote common understanding of the law and its consequences.

2. Local school divisions should post each school and administration property with at least two drug-free school zone signs per property. Local school divisions should continue to work with the Drug Policy Office of the Governor to acquire drug-free school zone signs at a minimal cost to the school division.

3. The Virginia Department of Education should review its policy prohibiting the use of local Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act federal grant funds to purchase drug-free school zone signs.

4. The Drug Policy Office of the Governor should continue to promote the posting of drug-free school zone signs, and continue to provide low-cost signs for purchase by the local school divisions.

D. Student Assistance Programs

1. The Virginia Department of Education should encourage local school divisions to develop student assistance programs by providing training in student assistance program development and implementation.

2. The Drug Policy Office of the Governor should expand its student assistance program grant funding to make start-up and enhancement grants available to more local school divisions.