JFCI-R - Student Substance Abuse - Procedure
STUDENT SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROCEDURE
I. Disciplinary Action
A. Level 1: Consumption, possession, receipt, or being under the influence of a
prohibited substance.
1. First Offense
The administration shall:
a. confiscate prohibited substance and verify offense;
b. meet with student;
c. notify parent(s)/guardian(s), Superintendent, and law enforcement
as soon as possible;
d. meet with school counselor and/or initiate the Student Assistance
Team process;
e. provide for a minimum 5 day out-of-school suspension; and
f. consider, and when appropriate, make referral to the Department of
Human Services Child Protective Services;
g. notify the School Committee of the incident and review action taken.
2. Second and Subsequent Offenses:
The administration shall:
a. follow steps a-d as for first offense;
b. provide for a minimum 10 days out-of-school suspension, or
expulsion; and
c . refer to the Department of Human Services Child Protective
Services; and
d . require that student meet with the Acton School Committee to
review conditions for re-admission.
After consulting with the Superintendent, the Principal shall have the authority and
discretion to make modifications in the disciplinary measures outlined above due to
specific circumstances associated with offense, but shall ensure that disciplinary
measures are taken in a consistent fashion.
B. Level 2: Furnishing, selling, or buying of prohibited substances.
1. First Offense:
The administration shall:
a. confiscate prohibited substance and verify offense;
b. meet with student;
c. notify parent(s)/guardian(s), Superintendent, and law enforcement;
d. meet with school counselor and initiate Student Assistance Team
process;
e. provide for a minimum (10) day out-of-school suspension;
f. consider, and if appropriate, make referral to Department of Human
Services Child Protective Services; and
g. require that student meet with the Acton School Committee to
review conditions for re-admission.
2. Second and Subsequent Offenses:
The administration shall:
a. follow steps a-d as for first offense;
b. recommend expulsion; and
c. make referral to Department of Human Services Child Protective
Services; and
d. require that the student meet with the Acton School Committee to
review conditions for re-admission.
After consulting with the Superintendent, the Principal shall have the authority and discretion to make modifications in the disciplinary measures outlined above due to specific circumstances associated with the offense, but shall ensure that disciplinary measures are taken in a consistent fashion.
II. Procedure for School Functions
A. School personnel responsible for a student who has violated any substance
abuse rule set out above shall:
1. remove the student from the function and/or return the student to school
grounds, supervising them while following steps as is;
2. confiscate prohibited substance and verify offense;
3. call the student’s parent(s)/guardian(s) to assume physical responsibility;
4. if the parent(s)/guardian(s) is not available, call the person listed on
the student’s school emergency contact to assume physical responsibility;
5. if none of the other individuals listed in steps 3 and 4 are available to
assume physical responsibility for the student, and it is after-school
hours, call the appropriate law enforcement agency;
6. under no circumstances is a student to be left unsupervised until
physical responsibility is assumed by parent(s)/guardian(s), person
listed as emergency contact or law enforcement agency;
7. notify the school administrator of the incident, who will refer to IA, IB.
III. Role of School Staff
A. Any staff member with a reasonable basis to suspect a student of violating the
above Student Abuse Rule shall:
1. Take necessary action in accordance with school policy to secure the
health and safety of the student(s) involved;
2. Report the incident to an appropriate administrator.
B. Any staff member approached by a student voluntarily seeking help for any
substance abuse related problem shall refer the student to the School
Counselor and will otherwise maintain the confidentiality of the student who
volunteered the information. While the information provided by the volunteering
student to the staff member may not be used in any disciplinary action, the
student may otherwise be susceptible to disciplinary action when in violation of
the Student Substance Abuse Policy (JFCI).
IV. Student Assistance Team
A. Upon receipt of a referral to alcohol or substance abuse, the student
assistance team (S.A.T.) will meet, collect educational related data, and decide
whether the student should be referred for professional evaluation.
1. S.A.T. Members
a. The S.A.T. shall consist of an administrator, school counselor, or
school nurse, and at least one of the student’s teachers;
b. The S.A.T. may consist of other individuals as deemed appropriate,
including a parent(s)/guardian(s).
2. Referrals
a. A student may be referred to the S.A.T. by school employees,
fellow students, or parents by the filling out of a student referral
form.
b. Students may refer themselves to the S.A.T. by filling out a
student referral form.
3. Action taken upon referral
a. The S.A.T. shall meet as soon as possible after receipt of a referral.
b. The S.A.T. may collect data concerning the student’s academic and
behavioral performance from school employees and the student’s
Records.
1. If considered necessary to fulfill their responsibility under this
policy, the S.A.T. may contact the student’s home to gather
further data.
2. If considered necessary to fulfill their responsibility under this
policy, the S.A.T. may contact other students to gather further
Data.
c. The S.A.T. shall make a non-clinical assessment of whether a
referral for evaluation is necessary based upon the referral form
and collected information and shall act accordingly.
d. The S.A.T. shall notify the student’s parent(s)/guardian(s) and may
meet with the student and the student’s parent(s)/guardian(s) to
discuss its non-clinical assessment and/or its recommendation for
a referral for evaluation.
e. The S.A.T. need not notify the parent(s)/guardian(s) of the referred
student, however, if its members have reasonable cause to suspect
that the student has been or is likely to be abused or neglected by
his/her parent(s) or legal guardian(s) as a result of the parent(s) or
guardian(s) being contacted.
1. “Abuse or neglect” means a threat to a student’s health or
welfare by the physical, mental, or emotional injury or
impairment, sexual abuse or exploitation, deprivation of
essential needs, or lack of protection from these.
2. Where the S.A.T. decides not to notify parent(s)/guardian(s)
of the referral because of suspected abuse or neglect, the
S.A.T. shall notify the Department of Human Services in
accordance with 22 MRSA§4011.
f. The S.A.T. shall take no further action relative to the referred
Student unless that student provides appropriate express consent in
accordance with law, and the consent permits both the S.A.T. and
the student’s parent(s)/guardian(s) access to the student’s alcohol
or substance abuse records.
g. Upon receipt of appropriate consent, the S.A.T. shall meet to
consider necessary modification in the student’s educational
program.
Adopted: June 16, 1998
Revised: April 10, 2025