CVHS Chief Talks Drugs, Dress Code and Punishment

Principal Kevin Astor, newly appointed to head , chatted with a handful of parents this week in an open forum that covered homework, drugs, the school's new dress code and more.

Only five parents showed up, and at least one was from the PTSA. So if you missed it, here's a rundown of the topics discussed:

Drugs: A new documentary was shown to students this week at Capo High. One of the moms, Jodi Barber, lost her teen son Jarrod to a prescription drug overdose in 2010. Astor said the statistics on local teen prescription drug abuse are "quite staggering." He said nearly 10 of the Dana Hills High graduating class of 2008 have died as a result of drug abuse. Parents will get a chance to see the 20-minute video Dec. 14 at 6:30 p.m. at Capo High.

Dress Code: A couple of changes were added to the school dress code affecting the way girls wear their clothes. The short shorts rule was relaxed a bit: now girls can wear shorts that cut off where their hands rest with their arms down making a fist. Before shorts had to be low enough to pass the girl's fingertips. Astor said it's a tricky issue because the same clothes can look different on girls with different body types.

Also, the rule about exposing cleavage was adjusted to include clothes that leave the body exposed while "engaging in normal school activities – walking, reaching, bending."

Punishment: One parent complained that a school staff member treated their child suspiciously without cause. Astor said that's inconsistent with school policy.

"That's not how it should be," Astor said. "It's always good to assume best intentions. Parents should be calling us on that if they see us jumping to conclusions."

Homework: One parent asked if students can get less homework over the Thanksgiving break. Astor said it's up to each teacher to decide how much homework to hand out. "A week is a long time (away from class), especially for an adolescent mind," he said. "That's the purpose—to keep kids focused."