The Westport Board of Education Monday night began discussions on develping a policy on when police would be allowed in schools. It came just days after seven Staples High School students were arrested on drug possession charges.
The board’s discussion about permitting police in schools—including when there is an incident in the schools—was its first since 2001, and gave direction to its attorney Tom Mooney on writing a new policy.
Board Chairman Mary Parmelee said there are two times police could be in the schools, including when school officials call them and when officers want to talk to a student involved in an incident that did not happen at a school.
Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon said in his experience in Westport police officers do not come onto school grounds unless they are invited by school officials.
Board members also expressed concerns about police interviewing students in the schools before a parent can be called on to the site.
Landon said typically police do not interview students on site, even when school officials call the police.
Administrators will gather information, including speaking to students, to determine if the police should be called, he said.
The police will examine the information as evidence to determine if there should be an arrest rather than interviewing the students, he said.
Administrators will contact the parents if students are going to be arrested, he said, and school officials make it known they would rather have police interview anyone at police headquarters.
Mark Mathias, a board member, asked if there was a model that the board could use for the policy.
Landon said he originally presented the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education model in 2001, but there were too many problems and changes that needed to be made with it.
Michael McGovern, a board member, said there needs to be some times when the policy is violated when parents are not contacted, such as when someone is in physical danger.
Parmelee said she believe most parents would understand in a situation where someone is hurt or in danger.
The discussion comes on the heels of police arresting seven Staples students for possessing marijuana (See WestportNow March 2).
Landon said the students have been suspended between five to 10 days, and there will be expulsion hearings on the matter.
State law requires the hearings for the sale or distribution of drugs on school campuses, he said, and an expulsion can be a variety of amount of time up to 180 days.
An independent hearing officer will determine the expulsion length, if any, and hearings will be held before March 15, he said.
