Students in Pearland ISD caught with vapes won’t necessarily get an automatic trip to an alternative campus.
The school board on Oct. 10 adjusted its disciplinary plan regarding only vapes that contain nicotine.
“We just feel while a nicotine vape, while harmful, punishing a student who brings nicotine to school with DAEP is far, and above, anything we have ever done related to nicotine cigarettes,” Superintendent Larry Berger said.
The state has mandated all students caught with vapes of any kind be sent to a disciplinary alternative program, effective this school year.
“According to (the state’s) regulation, if a student has an e-cigarette with nicotine, we’re required to send them to DAEP,” Berger said. “Whereas if a student brings a Marlboro or regular cigarette to school, we are not required to send them to a DAEP. We feel this is a harsh punishment.”
Berger says the state’s mandate was focused on THC, the main psychoactive compound found in marijuana. This makes up the majority of vapes confiscated in Pearland ISD.
“We have not had many nicotine vapes — most of the vapes we encounter in school are the THC variety,” he said. “Previously, they were expelable offenses, but now they are DEAP offenses.”
The state’s mandate does allow a district to place vaping students into in-school suspension if the alternative program is full, which is currently the case for Pearland, Berger said.
“Cigarettes are harmful. Vape nicotine is harmful,” he said. “We will continue with progressive discipline and have consequences for those students.”
Instead of the alternative program, students with nicotine will, per policy, be sent to programs such as in-school suspension and out-of-school suspension with the option of DAEP. One local student who has now been caught twice with a nicotine vape will be sent to DAEP, Berger said.
Pearland’s change to the state-mandated rule was accomplished by amending PISD’s District of Innovation plan, which is allowed by the state.
This fall, Pearland ISD installed vape detectors on campuses.
“Between the nicotine, the cigarettes, the dip people were doing, this has been an ongoing problem for years,” said Pearland ISD board president Sean Murphy. “With cigarette smoke, it’s more obvious than a vape pen.”
