Alcohol, Tobacco, & Other Drugs

As a parent, you know there are threats out there, including some that you never experienced as a young person. The good news is that there are more and more resources available to help. Here is a starting place for understanding and managing risks to your children posed by the following:

Need More Support?

JCPS offers drug abuse prevention and management programs based on your child's age:

JCPS Policies

The JCPS District insists that its schools be safe and free of drugs. The district follows the guidelines in the Gun-Free Schools Act of 1994, the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1994, and the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988. Every student and staff member has the right to respectful treatment and freedom from harassment and abuse.This means that when students break rules, they are provided with clear directives and strict consequences. To ensure safe schools, the JCPS District takes necessary action to discover drugs and weapons in schools. A search of school lockers, parking lots, and all other school property may be conducted by school officials and the Police Detection Canine Team. The searches may be random and unannounced. The schools also will exercise the right to search a student whenever there is a reasonable suspicion that the student is in possession of something that violates school rules or endangers others.

(From the JCPS Student Support and Behavior Intervention Handbook)

Restorative Practice

Restorative Practice helps support and strengthen positive school culture and improve relationships within the school community. Restorative Practice is an innovative model that helps JCPS students learn how their actions affect others. Restorative Practice is not a program. It is a philosophy focusing on repairing harm, restoring relationships, and responsibility. Restorative Practice gives students a voice—communication and problem-solving skills that will help them pursue appropriate solutions to future problems. Poor behavior and disruptions can change the healthy balance of a community, which is why district leaders are pursuing implementation of Restorative Practice in JCPS. Restorative Practice is significantly connected to another district initiative, Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (PBIS), which has the goal of reducing exclusionary discipline and maximizing instructional engagement. One of the purposes of both PBIS and Restorative Practice is to improve relationships among students, teachers, and staff—and create a sense of belonging for all people in the building.

When rules are violated, school and classroom leaders must respond with appropriate interventions. The JCPS Student Support and Behavior Intervention Handbook was updated in 2018 to include language regarding Restorative Practice and suggest age-appropriate Restorative Practice strategies. It encourages schools to consider repairing harm, responsibility, and restoring relationships when addressing school discipline.