The Dolores School Board of Education voted 4-0 on Thursday, March 12, to purchase Breathalyzers and amend a policy to require that all students will be tested for alcohol before entering school-sponsored dances and celebrations.
The motion was made by Deanna Truelsen and seconded by Dee Prock. School board member Joye McHenry was absent.
"All students who enter the prom next month will have to pass a Breathalyzer test," said Superintendent Scott Cooper.
The test will be given in private, and parents will be called to pick up students who test positive, Cooper said.
No other discipline, or criminal action will be applied.
"We simply want the students to enjoy a safe school dance experience. This will eliminate student drinking prior to the dance," Cooper said. "This student-driven initiative to increase the safety of school dances has been tried in the past. We have been successful in deterring all student drinking prior to dances when we have used Breathalyzers at the door."
The Breathalyzers cost about $150 total.
Gardening, PARCC tests and a new calendar
The school board approved the school calendar for next year. The first day of school will be Aug. 19; the last day, June 2. Thanksgiving and spring breaks are a week long, and spring break has been moved to March 21-25. Staff work days will be on Fridays once or twice a month.
Board members also heard a report from Megan Tallmadge about the garden project.
She said that over four years, 732 pounds of produce has been harvested from the school garden.
"We love to get our students excited about good food," Tallmadge said.
Secondary School Athletics Director Jimmie Lankford said testing has gone well at the school.
"Kids taking the PARCC are generally surprised that it wasn't as bad as they thought," he said. "And they aren't coming out looking exhausted."
Board members discussed Policy IKF "Graduation Requirements." In the end, board members decided to discuss and work on new graduation requirements throughout the next 12 months. Anyone interested in joining the committee that will look requirements is asked to call Cooper at the district office.