HOMEDALE -- Five middle school students in Homedale are expelled from school and now face felony drug charges. Police say the children pulled the marijuana from someone's backyard and brought it onto school grounds November 12.
"Between the five of them they were going to try and use it that night," said Homedale Police Chief Jeff Eidemiller.
Police say the group of 10 and 11 year olds had the pot in the back of the Homedale Middle School.
"I’ve never seen in 20 years that much on one person at one time," said Eidemiller.
Another group of students, at the school for a basketball game, saw the bag and reported it to adults.
"When officers responded they found that the middle-aged school kids were actually in possession of a bread sack filled with freshly picked marijuana," said Eidemiller.
"These kids had a plan, and they followed that plan," said Homedale School Superintendent Tim Rosandick. "It was at least one or two individuals in that group that had an awareness of the existence of this marijuana growing in this backyard."
Police then followed up on that information. That led them to a home on South Second Street West in Homedale. There they found five more marijuana plants and arrested Richard Stewart.
Police say they are not charging the kids for stealing, but they are charging them and Stewart with felony possession of marijuana.
"It's very serious, again, like I said, when kids of that age group are able to get their hands on illegal drugs that easily, it's obviously a concern," said Eidemiller.
But the kids, since they were on school grounds, face more consequences.
"These are places for learning and that kind of behavior, if it doesn't contribute to the learning environment, we're not going to tolerate it," said Rosandick.
Four of the students were expelled from school until after Christmas break. The fifth student will spend the rest of the school year at an alternative school.
"I think they're going to learn some very hard lessons that will last them a lifetime. I'm hopeful of that," said Rosandick.
Police and school officials are not releasing the names of the students involved. Even though the 10 and 11 year olds face felony charges they will not be tried as adults.
