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EAST PENN PARENTS WANT TO 'TAKE BACK OUR CHILDREN'

At Initial Meeting, They Hear About Students' Destructive Behaviors.

The challenge of literally saving lives of children in the East Penn School District drew hundreds of people to Emmaus High School Wednesday night.

The district's initial Take Back Our Children program was an emotional and unusually candid exchange about drug and alcohol abuse, suicide, bullying, teen pregnancy and other self-destructive behaviors at all grade levels.

Dozens of parents, students, teachers, social workers and police officers spoke about the scope of the problems and ways they might be tackled during most of the meeting, which lasted more than three hours and was attended by about 370 people.

There seemed to be a consensus that both parents and school staffs must put more emphasis on teaching children right from wrong.

School board President Jeff DeHaan, who initiated the program, set the tone for the meeting when he told parents: ''We have teens, preteens and children making destructive decisions.  We have bullies.  We have children spreading sexual diseases.  We have drugs in our schools.

''Students are bringing alcohol to school in water bottles,'' said DeHaan.  ''They are bringing pot in candy boxes.  They are lacing pacifiers with hard drugs.  They are having sleep-over parties with alcohol.''

DeHaan said he wanted to start random drug testing in schools in the fall of 2002.  He was told the district should not do such testing because social service agencies and the courts would not be able to handle the number of students who would be identified as drug users and would not be able to give them the services they would need.

''In the past two years, current and former East Penn students have died, directly or indirectly, because of destructive decisions,'' said DeHaan, ''and many more have been in and out of rehab.  Something had to be done.''

Rene Lento, a consultant with the Lehigh Valley Drug & Alcohol Unit, drew some gasps when she said average first use of marijuana is at age 12.  She said some children in the district are using heroin, cocaine and other ''big-time drugs'' from middle school on.

She told parents: ''You are the ones who need to know most of all what is out there threatening your children's lives and their futures when it comes to alcohol and drugs.''

She also said: ''You'd be surprised how many parents use drugs with their children, particularly alcohol and marijuana, in your community.''

Several parents said children know who the drug users and drug dealers are in schools, but the district lacks a way for them to get that information to administrators who should do something about it.

Several said schools need more hall monitors, including police.  Some said there are fights in the high school every other day.  Others said school buses need adults on board to maintain discipline.

''Our goal is to put a stake in the ground and say we're going to take back our children,'' said Alrita Morgan, district superintendent.  She said she hopes parents will remain active in helping the district determine exactly how to reach that goal.

A couple of parents were concerned the district will just pay lip service to all the problems.  Everyone attending was asked to sign a paper and continue participating in what school officials hope will become a Take Back Our Children task force.  The next meeting will be May 18.

Several people recommended students should be active participants in the program.

Fred Shipman, an expert on destructive teen behaviors, commended East Penn for being upfront about its problems.  He said other districts ''bury their heads in the sand.''

He said East Penn is sending a powerful message to its young people that it cares enough to help them.