Drug Litigation News

Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools Convenes First Advisory Committee Meeting

Mental health and wellness experts, education leaders, law and drug-enforcement officials, a criminal judge and juvenile justice advocates from around the country came together Monday and Tuesday, June 12-13, in Washington, D.C., for their first meeting as members of the newly formed Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Advisory Committee. The committee, appointed by U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, is charged with evaluating three areas: the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities: State Grants program, Persistently Dangerous Schools and the Unsafe School Choice Option, and requirements for data under No Child Left Behind. "Students need a safe place to learn, and the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Advisory Committee will play a vital role as we move forward in ensuring that our students have safe and drug-free schools," Secretary Spellings said.

The committee, chaired by David Long, superintendent of Riverside County Public Schools in Riverside, Calif., consists of 11 expert panelists from across the country and eight ex-officio members. Members serve staggered terms, ranging from one to three years, in order to retain an experienced core of members. Approximately 12 additional meetings will take place between now and June 30, 2007, when the committee is to submit a written report of its findings to the Secretary. Once the report is completed, members will continue to meet to discuss issues relating to safe and drug-free schools. "This committee, which is made up of passionate citizens from across the country who have high levels of expertise and years of experience in safe schools and crisis planning and mental health research, will address questions, have lively discussions and ultimately submit a report to the Secretary with our findings," Chairman Long said. "And we are excited about the process."

While Monday's meeting included an overview of the various programs within the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, on Tuesday, the committee also voted on the dates for its next two meetings and discussed prioritizing and streamlining issues within the three major categories on which they are to report to the Secretary. Members also decided to solicit the help of focus groups, which would consist of experts in the field, to assist with recommendations to the Secretary. No Child Left Behind authorizes the committee and the Federal Advisory Committee Act governs it. As mandated by its charter, the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Advisory Committee will announce all of its meetings, which are open to the public, in the Federal Register.

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	Did You Know?
	Many over the counter drugs were once prescription drugs Americans buy about 5 billion over-the-counter drugs each year, according to government estimates, to treat their headaches, heartburn, coughs and colds, and other routine health problems. According to the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, a trade