A state law ratcheting up the punishment for students using electronic cigarettes hasn’t had the disastrous consequences predicted by school officials last month, but also hasn’t substantially decreased the number of students vaping in school.
North East Independent School District leaders credit a slight decrease in infractions so far to a widespread public awareness campaign and media attention to the issue. They initially feared the new law, which requires any student caught vaping be sent to a disciplinary campus, would overload the system.
Tyler Shoesmith, the executive director of pupil personnel services for North East Independent School District, said students across the board have shown awareness of the new punishments — with fewer first-time offenders and declines in disciplinary referrals across the board.
So far this year, there have been 128 nicotine infractions, compared to 134 last year, according to Shoesmith, while THC infractions are down to 192 from 221.
“I think it’s directly related to [the law],” Shoesmith said. “I had the opportunity to speak with principals a couple of weeks ago … and they said when they’ve spoken to students … everybody knows.”
“The repeat offenders … are still there,” he added.
However, there are fewer students passing around THC vapes in a group setting or trying it for the first time compared to past years, he said.
Disciplinary campuses are still “teetering on capacity” on a weekly basis, however, and it is still early in the school year.
A similar trend is replicated in Northside Independent School District, the largest district in Bexar County, where leaders are taking steps to increase training for paraprofessionals that staff in-school suspension, which is where students are sent for vaping once disciplinary campuses fill up.
Katherine Lyssy, the director of the office of student advocacy and school choice for the Northside Independent School District, said early numbers have her feeling cautiously optimistic about the situation.
“Honestly, so far, it hasn’t been as bad as I expected,” she said. “We are right where we were last year as far as number of hearings.”
Exact numbers weren’t available Tuedsay, but about half of those hearings are represented by electronic cigarette-related infractions, she said.
Last year was a peak year, she added.
That was echoed by Northside ISD Superintendent John Craft, who said vaping has become a pervasive issue on campuses across the district. With the new law and advocacy efforts, progress is being made.
“It’s indicative that we’ve done a pretty good job of trying to be as proactive as we can educating parents and students, not only [about] the consequences associated but really trying to be proactive with explaining the health implications associated with long-term vape usage,” he said.
