Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

I was wondering how we all feel about one of our Pickerington High Schools making the front page of the Dispatch this morning? Apparently the North High is trying to create a new policy. Read the quote: ?“but after a surprising number of Pickerington North High School students showed up to last year?’s prom inebriated.?”

I understand that the school has around 1700 students. Can we say that there are probably 450 students in each grade? Who is invited to the prom? In my day it was juniors and seniors. So apparently we have a potential of from 450 students to 900 students to attend these proms. Was the prom held on school property? If you had good grades you don?’t have to take the final exams? Except if you get drunk at the prom??? If you are senior and you get suspended for 10 days isn?’t that more like a vacation?

So how many did show up drunk? How many were caught with drugs? How many were doing drugs? Was this only a problem at North High School?

Do we do unannounced drug dog searches at North High?




By Oldtimer

Wake up Oldtimer

You think this is the first time the drug and alcohol problems at North have been pointed out?

Wrong.

And it's not just North.

Parents need to step up

Yes there are random drug searches monthly at both of the High Schools & Junior Highs.

This problem isn't special to Pickerington - it occurs at every high school across the country. I think it's a great thing that the school is recognizing the problem & trying to take bigger steps to minimize it. Maybe if the parents did the same thing instead of hosting keg parties we'd be in better shape.

This isn't somehting the school should be trying to solve alone. It's not like there are beer machines in the commons - this occurs off school property. Yet our expectation is the schools fix it - what about having the parents step up to the plate and do their part? Parents should know where their kids are & who they are with - if that's too much to expect - why would we expect the school to do something the parents can't or won't?

My kids aren't old enough to attend a prom yet but I'm not going to hope the school can control them when they are old enough - that's my job.

By Violet Mom

Bring back the DOG

Don't forget that Zar, the police wonderdog, is retiring very soon. There are currently NO PLANS to replace him. This will result in the loss of the drug sniffing abilities we in the city enjoy as a precautionary intervention for our kids.

If it is a matter of money that we're not replacing the retiring dog, then we need to get the money. Maybe we could funnel some of the money being wasted on council retreats or public educaiton campaigns towards public safety.

Maybe some of you others have some ideas as to how we fund a new dog.

If money isn't the issue, can someone tell us what is? I know of few other things that put fear in the kids than thinking that a dog can sniff out their contraband in their lockers, cars or on their person.

Police dogs are a great deterrent.