Starting next school year, Whiteland Community High School student-athletes caught drinking, smoking or using drugs will miss at least half of their sports season.
Clark-Pleasant board members unanimously approved an updated version of the student-athlete handbook, which is now one of the most strict among local school districts. Parents had urged the school district to make the policy more strict to deter teens from drinking or using drugs.
The former policy had not been updated in nearly 20 years.
In the past, a student would miss 20 percent of their sports season the first time they were caught using drugs, tobacco or alcohol.
Now, if students are caught, they will miss 50 percent of the season, according to the new handbook.
