News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The White County Board of Education approved a new vaping education policy during the school board’s Thursday night meeting.
White County Director of Schools Kurt Dronebarger said the policy will have the school system meet with the parents or guardians of a student who has been caught vaping at school. Dronebarger said the policy necessary because of student behavior.
“Vaping is probably one of the biggest discipline problems we have at White County High School,” Dronebarger said. “It continues to be an issue, students are bringing these products into our schools. We deal with them quite a bit.”
White County Schools Health Supervisor Marcie Kinnard said the policy will feature a punishment-tier system that will include vaping education classes, monetary fines, community service, and alternative school. Kinnard said the tier system is designed to increase punishments for repeat offenders and reduce vaping incidents.
“My goal is a 25% reduction in vaping citations, ” Kinnard said. “What I will do at the end of the year, I will get the data from the middle school and the high school and of course, we’ll ask the elementary schools as well because sometimes we do see students in elementary vape.”
Chairman Bob Young said he is in favor of the tier system.
“I appreciate the fact there are tiered offenses, anybody can make a mistake one time, “Young said. “Multiple times it starts to become a pattern.
Kinnard said the school system needed to have a plan in place to address the vaping issue. Kinnard said that not having a plan in place is like having a plan to fail.
In other business, the School Board approved changes to the system’s background check policy. Young said the language of the policy is being changed so the board does not have to pay for every background check that is done on an applicant.
The school board approved to allocate $15,000 from the special education fund to cover the cost of special education transportation cost. The board approved a change to employee pay through direct deposit rather than receive a check.
The school board approved for the White County High School Marching Band to start fundraising as the band is trying to raise enough funds to perform during the halftime show at the 2025 Pop Tart Bowl in Orlando, FL. White County High School Band Director Rodger Mills said it would be around $1,300 per student to go on the trip.
