Drug & Alcohol Policy

Update February 2022, online drug intervention courses are now available to secondary students as an option for disciplinary response as part of the drug/alcohol mediation process.

It is the policy of Seattle Public Schools to provide a drug and alcohol-free environment for our students and staff. The Seattle School Board prohibits the possession, use, or distribution of drugs and alcohol by anyone on school property, on school-sponsored transportation, or as part of school activities. A student may be subjected to the disciplinary procedure if found in violation of the District’s drug/alcohol policy.

For the second semester of the 2021-22 school year, there are two options as part of the drug/alcohol mediation process. One option is for the student to obtain an assessment by a District-approved substance abuse agency and follow through with recommendations of the assessment. The other option is for the student to enroll and complete a free, online drug intervention course. Upon completion of the course, students will receive a certificate to provide to their administrator to document compliance with the terms of their mediation agreement. The decision to add the course option was made because of the extreme challenges in accessing substance use disorder assessments during the pandemic.

2016-2021

In partnership with administrators at both Denny Middle and Chief Sealth High School, the SWSYA assessed their disciplinary data around drug and alcohol specific offenses and reviewed disparities across race, gender, age, etc.

In Spring of 2018, Denny Middle School staff received a signs and symptoms  training that included a review of Seattle Public School’s Drug and Alcohol Policy as well as results from the Healthy Youth Survey and the system of referrals.

In Fall of 2018, Chief Sealth High School staff received the same training.

Continued collaboration between Puget Sound ESD’s Prevention and Intervention specialist at Denny/Sealth as well as WAPI, NAVOS, Therapeutic Health2 Services, YMCA, Sound, and more is underway.