BRYAN, Texas — Starting September 1st, students caught with any vapes or electronic cigarettes within 300 feet of school property will be placed in DAEP, or Disciplinary Alternative Education Programs.
Tiffany Parkerson with College Station ISD said those students will attend school at a different campus.
“In the first offense it may range from a 15 to a 30 day placement, depending on the history and intent and and other circumstances,” Parkerson said.
The change is due to a new state law passed during the last legislative session, House Bill 114.
Parkerson said, "it places vaping or using e-cigarettes into the same category as possessing drugs or alcohol at school."
Previously, student would be placed in in-school suspension.
Perla Rodriguez, a mom to a 9th grader at Bryan High School, said the change is necessary.
"I think it's a good idea they're doing this because I heard it's dangerous for teenagers," Rodriguez said.
Diana Monsibais, a senior at Bryan High School, agrees.
"I think that it's a good idea since there's a lot of students who do it," Monsibais said.
She said the problem has gotten so bad, they now need special hall passes to go to the bathroom because students would go to the bathroom to smoke.
"Our parents send us to school so we can do our work. We have to do it on our own. It's our work, it's our problem," Monsibais said.
In College Station, Parkerson said last school year, they had 130 instances of students bringing or using vapes across nine campuses.
"The impetus behind this law is that we know that vaping usage across teenagers has continuously been on the rise since 2014," said Parkerson. "And we want to make sure that kids are making safe choices.”
The new law is a one-strike policy; there are no warnings leading up to a student's removal to a different campus.