Drug Dogs Needed In Our Schools

Significantly more high school students have received long-term suspensions so far this school year compared with last year, and school officials say the increase is related to the district's new drug dog.

During the first 12 weeks of the 2005-06 school year, 78 high-schoolers received long-term suspensions (defined as 10 days or more, used for more serious offenses). During that same time frame in 2004-05, 42 high school students were suspended. By comparison, numbers at the middle-school level have remained flat.

With numbers nearly twice as high this year, school officials say the spike is probably related to the presence of Cash, the drug dog patrolling high school halls and parking lots with Union County sheriff's Deputy Christy Baucom. Baucom said marijuana is the most common find.

"We'd love to have the drug dog come up empty every day," said Mary Ellis, the district's assistant superintendent of administration. "But the reality of it is, we must take steps to deal with what's going on."