150 kids a day allegedly visited Lacey drug house. How do schools address drugs?
Earlier this month the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force, and other local law enforcement, made multiple arrests at a residence near College Street in Lacey where drugs were allegedly being sold to minors.
The location of that residence, which is also near Rainier Vista Park, places it near Komachin Middle School and Timberline High School, which are both part of North Thurston Public Schools.
Law enforcement allege a woman at the home sold controlled substances, cannabis and vape products to minors. Thurston County Superior Court records allege that dozens of juveniles under the age of 18, including as young as 13, were seen visiting the residence. A Lacey Police Department Facebook post said detectives saw “over 150 juveniles” visiting the home on an average school day, The Olympian reported.
Which schools did these minors come from? That wasn’t immediately clear. The Olympian reached out to the Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office but was unable to get that information by deadline. Some, though, were identified by Lacey Police Department school resource officers, according to the court records.
A school resource officer is a police officer that is either stationed at a particular school or visits several. The Lacey police department has three such officers, according to city information.
“North Thurston Public Schools is grateful to our law enforcement partners for leading this effort,” said school board president Esperanza Badillo-Diiorio via email. “We encourage our students to ‘see something, say something,’ and in this case, local residents did just that, helping to ensure the safety of our entire community.”
In light of the drug bust, and the number of school-age children allegedly involved, The Olympian reached out to the three nearby school districts — North Thurston, Olympia and Tumwater — to learn more about how drug education and awareness is handled.
North Thurston Public Schools
Drug education and awareness is included as part of health classes for both middle school and high school students, said district spokeswoman Amy Blondin.
In middle school, those classes cover substance use and abuse, stages of addiction, short-term and long-term effects of drug use, prevention, treatment, abstinence and the legal consequences.
Under prevention, the district uses what it calls a “refusal skill model,” where students learn to say no, tell why not, offer a safer choice or promptly leave.
“We use this model in real-life scenarios where students explain the thought process of the decision-making model while including looking at values (like your health, parental approval and the law) and incorporating the refusal skill,” Blondin wrote.
In high school, much of the same material is revisited, according to the district, including the appropriate use of prescribed and over-the-counter medications.
Olympia School District
Olympia School District provides substance use and prevention education that begins in kindergarten and continues through high school, said spokesman Conor Schober.
“At the secondary level, this education is embedded in required health courses rather than delivered solely through one-time events,” he wrote. “In addition, the district has previously hosted informational nights to provide families with resources and education on substance use awareness and prevention.
“Our drug and alcohol counselors work closely with community partners, including Catholic Community Services and other external providers, to connect students and families with support beyond the school setting. Counselors also regularly meet with and support students during the school day.
“While there is often a correlation between mental health and substance use, that is not always the case. We approach prevention and intervention with a comprehensive lens that considers both behavioral health and substance use supports.”
Tumwater School District
Spokeswoman Laurie Wiedenmeyer touted district partnerships that help students with drug education and awareness.
Educational Service District 113’s True North Student Assistance and Treatment Services program employs full-time Student Assistance Professionals (SAPs) at both of the district’s middle schools.
“SAPs provide a comprehensive range of substance use and mental health prevention and intervention services including classroom sessions to provide drug awareness and prevention education,” she wrote.
“This instruction is designed to build knowledge, strengthen refusal and decision-making skills, and increase understanding of the short- and long-term impacts of substance use on their health, academic success, and overall well-being.”
The educational service district also operates the Tumwater Hopes Community Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition, which provides education and outreach to the Tumwater community.
“Part of this work includes sponsoring free events such as the upcoming Emergency Drug Trends training and a community screening of ‘Screenagers: Under the Influence,’ at Bush Middle School,” she wrote. “We are actively promoting both events. These efforts complement the ongoing health education students receive throughout their time in our schools.”
