Board examine vape policy, drug dog

By John Miller, 11/15/22 9:41 AM

PRESCOTT – Prescott’s School Board took care of business in short order during its November meeting Monday night.

Part of the reason was it was time for the board’s annual training session with Jay Bequette with the Arkansas School Board Association.

The board wasted no time in approving the district’s index and supplementary salary schedule, and the ACH electronic payment transactoins.

Superintendent Robert Poole told the panel about a grant for $69,490 for a compact driving simulator. The grant is through the Southwest Educational Cooperative. The district will make the purchase and be reimbursed by the co-op. Poole said it would help students not only get their driver’s license, but can also be used to train those who want to get a commercial driver’s license (CDL). Only two schools in the co-op were offered the grant, Prescott and Hope.

In other business, Poole said the current enrollment is at 898, up four from October.

The board was asked to examine the policy concerning vapes as this is becoming a problem on both junior and senior high. The current policy, Poole said, is ISS, but the board needs to consider a harsher punishment to hold students more accountable. He suggested the board address this at its December meeting.

The district, Poole said, has the opportunity to get a drug dog for the schools.

Normally these animals cost $40,00 to $50,000, but, according to Colby Tillman, PSD police chief, the district can get one for a donation of $10,000. Tillman said a company out of Dallas, Texas trains dogs for schools. These dogs are children friendly and don’t bite. However, someone would have to go through the two-week training to learn how to work with the dog.

He was asked if the animal could find vapes. Tillman said not unless the vapes had been replaced with something illegal. The dog would go home with its handler, who would take care of it. Tillman said he has dogs and would be willing to take on the responsibility.

Poole suggested this could also be addressed at the December meeting.

With no other business, the meeting adjourned and the board’s training session began.