Ban on over-the-counter medicines in schools fails to gain support
Teachers will have power to address students who abuse medicines
Sniffling students can continue carrying Sudafed. The Elmbrook School Board has officially decided against a policy change that would have banned that and other over-the-counter medications from district schools.
School Board members have approved most of a revised classroom code of conduct that places new limits on student use of over-the-counter medications, but they did so only after making a final round of tweaks that further relaxed the new rules.
The final version of the code of conduct says teachers may remove students who abuse drug-like substances from class. Those substances are defined as "any non-controlled and non-prescription substance capable of producing a change in behavior or an altered state of mind if abused. Examples are substances that contain ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, dextromethorphan or alcohol."
Superintendent Matt Gibson said principals will use announcements and letters to make students and parents aware of the policy change.
Abuse is main concern
Board member Meg Wartman said the final wording of the approved changes sends a more accurate message to students and parents than earlier versions of the policy.
"We're not trying to control kids taking legitimate drugs … but we're worried about the abuse of it," she said.
Earlier incarnations of the policy sought to ban a specific list of substances, including the pseudoephedrine found in the allergy medicine Claritin-D and other over-the-counter drugs. Board members balked at the proposal, saying it would unfairly prevent sick students from legitimately using some medicines.
A less-restrictive version of the policy also met resistance from board members because it limited students to carrying no more than a daily dose of some over-the-counter cough and allergy medicines.
Policy work not entirely done
However, this months-long discussion, started in July, isn't quite finished. A different part of the policy, which covers the buying and selling of drugs on school premises, will head back to committee for more work.
Board member Jean Lambert pointed out that this part of the policy, which had not yet been discussed, could still ban possession of "drug-like substances" if left unchanged.
Lambert suggested modifying the policy, but Gibson said he didn't feel comfortable making the change until the district's legal counsel is consulted.
"This policy is different than the classroom code of conduct, and this is what we use as (the) basis for suspensions, expulsions, etc. regarding a whole list of things," he said.
Board members voted to send the policy back to committee for further work. Tom Gehl and David Marcello voted in opposition, saying too much time has been spent on the policy already.
The issue will be discussed at the next meeting of the Board's Policy & Legislative Committee.
NEXT STEP
WHAT: Members of the Policy & Legislative Committee will discuss changes to the classroom code of conduct
WHERE: Elmbrook Central Administrative Offices, 13780 Hope St., Brookfield
WHEN: 5:30 p.m. Oct. 28
ON THE WEB: elmbrookschools.org
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