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District reports sharp drop in drug-related long-term suspension hearings; diversion program credited
Summary
District staff reported a decline in the share of long-term suspension hearings tied to marijuana and vaping since 2023 and credited a diversion program run with Pinal County Health Department and the sheriff’s office; board members also described infrastructure damage and replacement costs tied to vaping devices flushed in school plumbing.
District administrators told the Florence Unified School District governing board on Jan. 14 that the share of long-term suspension hearings tied to drug use — primarily marijuana and vaping — has fallen substantially since 2023 after the district expanded diversion work with Pinal County partners.
Mr. Gates, who oversees discipline and safety for the district, reported that in 2023 more than half of long-term suspension hearings (53%) were drug-related. He said that figure fell to roughly 28% in 2024 and, comparing like points in the school year, that the share was about 14% at the mid‑point of the current year. Gates credited the district’s diversion program — run in partnership with the Pinal County Health Department and the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office — with reducing repeat incidents and lowering the number of hearings.
“We want our students to be safe and not exposed to those things,” Gates said, describing the diversion pathway that offers alternatives to repeated disciplinary hearings.
Board members raised continuing concerns about vaping devices in school plumbing and campus infrastructure. One board member said Boston Butte High School recently had to replace a lift pump after vape devices were flushed down a toilet, costing about $10,000 in taxpayer dollars, and urged continued work with families to curb student vaping.
The board discussed the diversion program in the context of broader discipline reductions and applauded the administrative teams at the high schools for their work. No policy change or vote on discipline protocols occurred at the Jan. 14 meeting; the remarks were provided as a report to the board.
