SCHOOL BOARD WRAP-UP

The following is from the March 11, 2008, meeting of the Laguna Beach Unified School District Board of Education.

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Drug and alcohol expulsions increase

District officials who researched the best practices for referring families for drug and alcohol issues presented their findings.

The district had recognized a need for good referrals, and sensed increased community interest in the issue. There have also been more suspensions and expulsions due to drug and alcohol issues in the past school year.

The researchers determined that the Orange County Health Care Agency can provide assistance leading to additional support.

It also concluded that the district’s drug and alcohol committee should include school counselors, and offer increased opportunities for parent education and awareness.

The next steps include developing forms and procedures for referral, evaluating the effectiveness of the referral process and analyzing data on the effectiveness of interventions for first-time offenders.

The district also plans to expand in-school support for students in treatment.

Excellence spotlighted

The board recognized students participating in the district’s Project Pacific Mandarin language class, a Berlitz course held at Thurston Middle School for all interested students, parents and faculty.

Students wrote out Mandarin characters and pronounced phrases selected by the board members.

Many will attend a summer trip to China.

Technology Director Victor Guthrie also showed the district an example of document cameras that were purchased by the El Morro Elementary PTA.

More of the cameras will be purchased for other school sites as part of a district-wide technology initiative.

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PTA issues resolutions

Kathleen Fay of the Top of the World Elementary PTA presented two resolutions passed by the organization during public communications.

In the first, the PTA urged the district to limit homework to 10 minutes per grade level per night.

The second requested students be permitted to take regularly scheduled recess breaks regardless of any penalties they incurred.

“” Candice Baker