According to the student handbook, “possession, use or being under the influence of any narcotic, drug or controlled substance, alcohol or other mood-altering substance, while on school grounds” is prohibited. However, the Echo editorial board feels students have not been made blatantly aware of the specific practices.

Policies state any signs giving the administration reason to suspect a student of using or distributing drugs, such as a certain smell, allows the administration and staff permission to search a student’s belongings. Students can be suspended from school for up to five days for their first offense if they are found possessing anything implying the use or distribution of prohibited substances.

Anything on school property is liable to be searched, such as lockers as well as cars in the school parking lot. However, the regulations on searches are not in the student handbook and are not easily accessible for students. The handbook being available exclusively online without any physical form makes these policies even less accessible to students.

Especially because students are not given physical copies of the handbook, it should still be made as accessible as possible for students. Even though students signed off on the handbook online at the beginning of the year, it’s not as if all the rules can be remembered after one glance especially if not all details are explicitly outlined.

The Echo editorial board believes these policies should be made more apparent and the student handbook should include all the intricacies of the consequences of smelling like marijuana or other narcotics.

Students have not been fairly made aware of these rules and thus are at risk of being accused of drug use even if they do not use narcotics and simply are around people who do. When something as serious as a student’s education is at stake, students should be as informed as possible.

In addition, the Echo editorial board implores the student body to be more aware of Park policies and ensure they are never at risk of suspension or expulsion. This includes reading the student handbook and ensuring students are aware of other practices to avoid risk of suspension or expulsion.