Youth panel to discuss school policies

Category: Local News Releases Local News Releases
Published: 24 November 2014 24 November 2014

Silver City, New Mexico, November 24, 2014: A panel of Middle and High School students from Grant County will discuss school policies, and how such policies impact their lives, at a Town Hall on Wednesday, December 3, 2014, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Western New Mexico University Global Resource Center Auditorium, corner of 12th and Florida Streets. The Town Hall is sponsored by the Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition (YSAPC). Students, parents, and community members are urged to attend.

YSAPC Coordinator Razanna Robinson-Thomas says, "It is important to have this Town Hall, because it offers a constructive outlet for students, parents, and community members of Grant County to have their voices heard and then action be taken based on their recommendations."

This Town Hall is a follow up to one previously held in July, and it hopes to focus on policies directly related to student substance use and its consequences, but all input on policies is welcome. All concerns at the Town Hall will be referred to the YSAPC and reports made to all the school boards throughout the County.

Silver High School senior, Cheyenne Kimmick will be one of the town hall panelists. He is participating because, "I think that people have a right to know what is going on at their schools. I don't think the policies are always as fair as they could be."

Kimmick admits to being more familiar with his school's Dress Code Policy than the Substance Use Policy. Though his school requires students and their guardians to sign off yearly on the school policies, he believes many sign the paperwork without reading it.

According to the most recent Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey (YRRS) results for 2013, over 67 percent of Grant County High School students reportedly drank alcohol in their lifetime, and 34 percent report drinking regularly. The YRRS gauges the healthy, and not-so-healthy, behaviors of Middle and High School students across the nation.

Over 45 percent of Grant County High School students report using marijuana in their lifetime, and just over 24 percent reportedly used it in the last year. Furthermore, over 48 percent of Grant County Middle and High School student reported it was "easy to get illegal drugs."

Effective school policies concerning drug and alcohol abuse can deter abuse, help identify early signs of substance use, and connect students to life-saving treatment and recovery support services. Many policies, especially zero-tolerance policies regarding student substance use, are dictated to local school districts by the State and offer little leeway for intervention and treatment options for students.

La Plata Middle School 7th Grader, Andrea "XuanDie" Chavez has stepped up as a panelist due to what she sees, "School policies aren't being enforced fairly, from what I see, especially with the dress code and fights at school." As a La Plata Student Senator, Chavez hopes to hear from students about their experiences to better represent their concerns to the School's administration.

Robinson-Thomas adds, "We will only be addressing things within our realm of control; therefore, only school policy and their procedures. We will not be discussing personnel, administration, or the financial matters of our schools. Please come for the food, and stay for the discussion, and have your opinions be heard by an audience that is committed to making a change!"

The YSAPC is composed of 25 service providers and invested community members dedicated to creating an environment that cultivates healthy productive lifestyles through policy and advocacy change that promotes resilient and empowered youth.

For more information on the YSAPC or the upcoming Town Hall call (575) 388-1198 or visit their website at www.facebook.com/YSAPC. The Silver Consolidated Schools' Parent/Student Handbook can be downloaded at http://www.silverschools.org/contact_school/parent__student_handbook_-_2014-15_school_year

and the Cobre Consolidated Schools' at http://www.cobre.k12.nm.us/board_of_education/board_policies

The Town Hall is sponsored by YSAPC, which is a program of the Grant County Community Health Council, the Health and Wellness Planning Authority of the Grant County Board of Commissioners, and is supported by Gila Regional Medical Center.

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