Mentor High's Drug Search Comes Up Clean

Editor's note: This story was updated at 8:40 a.m.

Twelve K-9 units from the Mentor Police Department and elsewhere searched Mentor High School high and low this week, but repeatedly came up empty.

No drugs were found at the high school following an unannounced, school-wide search on Tuesday morning.

“Providing our students with a safe and secure learning environment is our district’s number one priority, and keeping our buildings drug free is a part of that,” Superintendent Matthew Miller said, according to the district's website. “Also, this search provided a training opportunity for local police officer handlers and their K-9s, which we were happy to help with as part of our partnership in doing what’s best for our community.”

The search took place around 9 a.m. Staff and students conducted class as normal, but were asked to stay in their rooms as the search went on. Administrators sent emails to parents shortly before it began.

Though no drugs were found, there were instances where dogs indicated that narcotics could be present in some lockers. When a dog barked at a particular locker, administrators then searched them, but still found nothing, Mentor Schools spokeswoman Kristen Kirby said.

In those instances, a K-9 could have been picking up on a smell or something that was once present in the locker. Kirby said that happened about five times Tuesday.

"That raises some concern and we want to send a message that it won't be tolerated," Kirby said. "We certainly don't want to pretend that there are no drugs in the school."

Kirby echoed what had already been posted to the district's website.

"We know the majority of our students are making good choices," the website reads. "Part of the goal of (Tuesday's) search was to send a message to students that we take their safety seriously and that drugs will not be tolerated at Mentor High School."