Bethlehem Central School District Superintendent Michael Tebbano provided the Board of Education with an update regarding recent drug incidents at the high school during a Dec. 7 meeting.
The district has received plenty of attention in recent weeks following the arrests of five students accused of selling and possessing methadone and marijuana.
Tebbano and high school principal Charles Abba have issued comments in letters and blog posts. The outgoing superintendent addressed those comments during the meeting, which was held at the high school’s Library Media Center.
“Because there was a blog by the superintendent last week, because there was a letter from the principal to the parents, doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re in a state of crisis,” said Tebbano. “In fact, I would contend that what’s occurring in Bethlehem is probably no different than what’s happening in any other community, any other school, any other district throughout the country.”
Tebbano said there have been incidents with students “who have taken some liberties.”
“I guess the reason why Mr. Abba and I decided to contact the community through various venues to get information out is because one serious situation can be fatal,” said Tebbano.
The superintendent, who will retire at the end of the year, said the district is stressing enforcement and education. Forums have been held with students to address their concerns about what’s happened at the high school.
The district is getting outside help, as well. Tebbano said Albany County District Attorney David Soares’ office has offered resources to teach students about the negative effects of drug abuse.
“We have prosecutors from the DA’s office coming to talk to the students about what the drug penalties are really all about,” said Tebbano. He added that the district is also working with State Police, Bethlehem police and the Albany County Sheriff’s Office.
In his report to the board, Tebbano also proposed the return of a practice that would allow the district to report drug use by students on school grounds to colleges and universities.
“I find it hard to believe that Harvard or Yale would like that kind of student, and I think we need to start being vigilant in helping students make the decisions that are going to be necessary for them to improve their lives,” said Tebbano.
Some students in the audience disagreed with the idea, arguing that in some cases students make a single mistake and then make the right choices with the help of programs such as youth court, where students are given punishments by their peers and kept out of the formal criminal justice system. The board took no action on the proposal.
The board did grant district administrators permission to pursue an investigation into the costs of installing cameras at the school, as well as at the district’s operations and maintenance facility. Over the summer, thousands of dollars in damage was inflicted on district vehicles there.
“This high school is a very large complex. We’ve cut back on hall monitors and security. We have had some issues with vandalism, especially at the O & M center,” said Tebbano.
That plan, including potential costs, could be presented to the board as early as January.
Clarksville Elementary
Tebbano reported on the progress made in negotiations to turn Clarksville Elementary School in a substation for the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, though no decision was made. It had been thought a ruling might be seen at the Dec. 7 meeting, but a vote could come at the BOE’s last meeting of the calendar year.
“I’m confident we can put an agreement together for the board to review and approve at the Dec. 21 meeting,” said Tebbano.
The superintendent and Albany County Sheriff-elect Craig Apple met for the first time face-to-face on Dec. 1. Tebbano called it a constructive meeting.
Few details of the agreement have been disclosed, but both sides have said that one stipulation could include policing by the Sheriff’s Office at Bethlehem High School during the final weeks of the academic year. The district has previously entered into an agreement with Bethlehem police for those services. Apple said the “in-kind services” would save the district money while making the agreement more palatable for the county.
