Youth leaders say teachers need to confront students who use

The Wahkiakum School District Board met August 24 and approved contracts for district staff and heard from youth leadership about additional efforts needed to reduce marijuana use.

Districts across the state have handled the state legislature’s 1.9 percent cut to teacher wages reductions differently, Superintendent Bob Garrett said. Some have no funds to offset losses and others have large enough cash reserves to make up all of the teachers’ loss.

The Wahkiakum board agreed to offset the loss to teacher’s salaries by reducing the hours they will teach by half a day during the year and allowing them to work extra hours for the additional 2.5 days, which would equal the 1.9 percent reduction in wages at a cost of $39,000.

Students will only attend a half-day before Christmas vacation.

“In the past, the district has taken days off before Thanksgiving and the end of the school year, but not at Christmas,” Garrett said.

Principals Dan Casler and Theresa Libby will have the same opportunity as teachers to make up the salary reductions, which will cost the district $3,400. Garrett said he was not planning to work extra hours to offset the reduction in his salary.

The district decided to make up the reduction to classified staff wages, which includes custodians, food service and para-educators, at a cost of about $5,500.

“We don’t think these people have high hourly wages as it is,” Garrett said.

Eight students from Wahkiakum and Naselle High Schools attended a Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) Youth Leadership Initiative training event in Anaheim, Calif, this summer and presented their findings to the board.

Wahkiakum Community Network coordinator Tammy Peterson and Cathy Gawith, who accompanied the students to Anaheim, assisted with the presentation.

Austin Smith and Keith Reitz, who attend Naselle High School, and Abby Buennagel, Ashley Silva, Brianna Helms, Taryn Peterson, Chelsea Paulson and Maya Stanley, who attend Wahkiakum High School, traveled to California and conducted a needs assessment.

At the conference, the students prioritized problems they saw in the schools and considered plans to improve the situation.

The students thanked the school board for passing the drug testing policy last year, but said they continue to see problems with marijuana use. Taking turns reading their findings, the students said they believe the policy is not being enforced and that teachers are “ignoring problems or turning a blind eye.”

The students offered to form an advocacy group to meet with teachers on a monthly basis to address the problem.

Students said they weren’t sure all of the teachers were aware of the new policy and wondered if teachers were unwilling to confront students who are using because they’re afraid to risk relationships with students or their parents because it is a small town.

The group said that although students may have become sneakier about using or have stopped using at school, they are talking about parties where marijuana is used in front of teachers in the halls and classes.

Students said they felt suspension wasn’t enough of a punishment or a deterrent. The group would like to post the policy to make sure students are aware.

Elementary and middle school Principal Libby complimented the students on their efforts, saying it was a good follow up to last year.

High school Principal Casler agreed but reminded students that change is a process. He asked the students how things differed from last year.

Buennagel of Wahkiakum and Smith from Naselle had been to the training last year. Smith said he didn’t see the same problem in Naselle, noting some of the previous senior class had smoked marijuana, but they have graduated. Buennagel said she didn’t see much difference between last year and this year.

Athletic Director Marc Niemeyer, who was present, said, “I don’t want to lose my job or family in order not to implement a policy. I just want you to know that’s where I’m coming from.”

Board members expressed support for the students’ efforts.

Garrett told the students they could make a difference in the situation, if they were willing to talk to teachers or students if someone was talking about using.

“It would take guts on your part,” he said. “We do want to see it change.”