Parent and school leaders flag vaping, vandalism and safety gaps at Hamlin PK-8

Steven McCluskey, a Hamlin resident who said he is a former law- and public-safety teacher, told the Lincoln County Board of Education on Jan. 21 that students at Hamlin PK-8 are selling vapes and THC gummies, vandalizing restrooms and congregating there during multiple class periods.

McCluskey said his observations and photos — taken between October and last week, he said — show students using the bathrooms to traffic and consume nicotine and THC products, and that some items appear to come from other schools or from adults. “These kids are selling vapes,” he said, and said prices varied in the material he provided. He proposed limiting the number of open restrooms and increasing checks, searches and monitoring to reduce opportunities for trafficking and vandalism.

Lori Huffman, who delivered the school’s Local School Improvement Council (LSIC) report for Hamlin PK-8, described ongoing safety and supervision measures already in place and recurring concerns found by staff. Huffman said daily attendance is 92.15 percent and that the school’s chronic absence rate fell from 24.94 percent last year to 23 percent this year. She said out-of-school suspensions decreased from 61 last year to 24 so far this year, and that the school has recorded 172 discipline referrals to date this year; she characterized many referrals as for minor offenses.

Huffman outlined classroom and building-level strategies to improve student behavior and attendance, including targeted intervention groups, teacher-led small-group instruction and increased home visits by the school’s CIS worker and counselor. At the same time, she and other staff raised facility concerns: needles and drug paraphernalia have been found near a picnic area by the school’s front lawn, the school has recurring parking and blacktopping issues that affect pickup times, and the marquee and some exterior fascia need repair.

Huffman and others at the LSIC meeting urged the board to consider fencing parts of the campus perimeter and other deterrents to reduce risky public access and drug use near student gathering areas. Huffman said window tinting already installed on some ground-floor windows has reduced visibility into classrooms and aided safety, but that additional site fixes remain on the school’s wish list.

Acting board leadership indicated the superintendent would review the public comment and the safety concerns raised by McCluskey and the LSIC. No formal board action was taken during the meeting on the specific security proposals McCluskey offered.

Ending: The board moved on to recognition and academic items after public comment and the LSIC report; any follow-up on fence quotes, restroom closures or search protocols would be documented at a later meeting or through administrative follow-up.