Dear Parents, Students, and Staff:
Over the past month, it was revealed that 10 students had used or were currently using marijuana. Some very courageous parents, who loved their children enough to come forward and seek help, started the process. We cannot thank them enough for their integrity and their courage. We truly believe lives have been saved because of their faithfulness.
Use of marijuana is a major violation of the Student Code of Conduct. Our policy states that this violation mandates that a student appear before the Board of Directors for a hearing to determine the consequences of such a violation and ultimately to determine if that student should be allowed to return to the student body.
For over 12 hours on Saturday and Sunday, the Board of Directors and administrators met with each student and his/her parents. We listened to the students and parents, and we interacted with each student, challenging them to be honest and forthright about all the details surrounding the violation. One decision that was foremost on our minds was to determine whether any of the students needed to be removed from the student body for his/her own good. It was determined that none of the students required removal from the school.
Although no student was removed at this time, we imposed strong sanctions on each student to explicitly demonstrate the truth, to emphasize that there are always consequences of sin, and to begin the reconciliation process. Each student received some measure of each of the following sanctions:
1. Random Drug Testing. Each student will be required to undergo random drug testing for his/her remainder of time at Heritage.
2. Suspension.
3. Leadership and Extracurricular Suspension. All students have been removed from positions of leadership.
4. Community Service. Each student will be required to perform forty hours of community service.
5. Outside Counseling. Each student will be required to participate in counseling.
6. Accountability. Each student will be partnered with a member of the staff with whom he/she will meet weekly. The goal of this close attention is to ensure growth and personal accountability.
7. Probation. All students will remain on probation for the remainder of their tenure.
It is now our prayer that a full and complete restoration begin for these students, that each will look back on this time as a time of correction and rebuke from a loving Father, forgiveness from a loving Savior, and restoration and acceptance from the Body of Christ.
We are grateful and thankful for your continued support and prayer for the school family.
In His Service,
Holy Chairman of the School Board
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