<p>Our son is interested in Choate, Suffield, Taft, Kent, Loomis, Trinity Pawling...</p>
<p>Read a thread referring to a drug problem in 2007 at Kent....Do any of these schools have a history/reputation of a drug problem?</p>
<p>Thanks for any insight!</p>
<p>What school doesn’t have some students with a drug problem?</p>
<p>Is the problem with the school or the child?</p>
<p>Why fault any school for cracking down on illegal drug use?</p>
<p>The root cause of the problem lies with the student and frankly, any parent who thinks a school is to blame for drug use probably has raised a child who is not ready for such an independent experience. Face it, there are drugs in every public and private school in the country.</p>
<p>I’ve posted about this earlier- every single school out there is going to have students using drugs. No schools are going to be “known” for drug use, because it depends on the class of students who are currently attending the school. And if you are looking for a school that doesn’t have as active a drug scene, you SHOULD look at schools that have busted drug rings, because it shows they crack down harder than other schools. But at virtually any school, public or private, your child will have the opportunity to do drugs, alcohol, sex, etc. Sit down with your student and talk to them about these issues (especially sex, as it is very prevalent in BS). At some point you have to trust your child to make good decisions, and if you can’t do that yet, than the should bot go to boarding school. I have seen a lot of kids who are just not prepared to be a part of a boarding school environment.</p>
<p>Parents overlook that local schools have them too. My daughter went to a local private school where the girls sold or loaned their prescription meds, stole them from their parents, or bought them from other kids. These were well off suburban kids with nice cars, not the urban kids with no resources. During a class overnight, my daughter asked if I’d mind if she slept in the car. Why? Because the girls were drinking and smoking even with the host parent’s around. </p>
<p>So those who worry about BS might want to look at the home schools. It’s hidden, shoved under the rug, etc. But at least in our city, statistics showed the worse drug issues were in the ‘burbs’".</p>
<p>Yes, drugs are at any school, for those looking for them.</p>
<p>I visited one very impressive school (NOT a boarding school) and had a chance to chat with one very honest young man after the main presentation. I asked about the prevalence of drug use. He told me with a straight face that there were no drugs at his school. I challenged him on it, gently. His dad, who was standing right next to him, nudged him. He then, as if remembering my likely frame of reference, said, ‘Well, of course there is a lot of alcohol and pot. But not the major stuff.’ </p>
<p>In his mind, alcohol and pot didn’t even count as drugs…</p>
<p>As a previous Taft student, I can say that the drug culture at Taft is very prevalent. There have been many kids who have received warnings, strikes, and even expulsions. Although the 9th and 10th grade dorms are relatively safe when it comes to D&A, the upper school dorms are crowded with these things due to the lack of adult supervision, and all the closed off staircases that no one uses other than for these purposes. Not being racist, but even the asian kids whom you wouldn’t expect to use, have played a part in these investigations. So unless, your child has a strong sense of will, I would advise to steer clear.</p>
<p>^ everbladeshockey, can you please expand on that? I’m applying to Taft this year, and am curious to hear exactly how “prevalent” the drug culture at Taft is.</p>
<p>Like I said, in CPT (assuming you’re a guy, and applying for upper school) you will definitely see people that are under the influence, mostly on saturday nights. In girls dorms, I cannot say for sure, but as far as I know, there was nothing major. In the boys lower school dorm’s it’s not that bad. I’d like to say that 50% of people have tried something, whether it be to increase their ability to study, or just to ‘‘relax’’. If you would like to know details, I would prefer a PM.</p>
<p>^ I’m sending you a PM right now.</p>