Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : School Board Increases Rewards for Tips on Vandals : Antelope Valley: One thousand dollars is offered for information leading to arrest; parents will be liable.

After the initial success of a $25 reward program for information about Antelope Valley high school students who bring drugs and guns to campus, the school board voted Wednesday to give rewards of up to $1,000 for tips leading to the arrest of vandals.

Under the expanded program, parents of students who vandalize or steal school property will be liable for the damage and will also be required to reimburse the district for the rewards.

The decision drew criticism over the idea of paying such high amounts for student tips about vandals, while keeping at $25 the maximum reward for information about drugs and guns.

“We are indicating that property is more important than threats to human life,” said Antelope Valley Teachers Assn. President Dave Kennedy.

Kennedy said he opposes the reward program, calling it unethical because it teaches students to speak up about lawbreakers for money rather than as concerned citizens.

Board members defended their action, saying they need to cut the district’s vandalism costs.

“Weapons and guns are a potential threat (but) vandalism is a crime that has already occurred . . . It has nothing to do with putting a price tag on a life,” said Antelope Valley Union High School District board member Billy Pricer, a retired sheriff’s deputy who created the reward proposal.

District officials said they would sue parents who refuse to reimburse the district for vandalism damage under the new program.

“The district would go to small claims court . . . (and) the reward would be part of that (claim),” said District Supt. Robert Girolamo, author of the expanded policy.

In addition, the district could “withhold the grades, diploma and transcripts of the student responsible for the vandalism or theft until the student or the student’s parent/guardian has paid for the damages,” under the new policy.

Since mid-November, at least 38 students have been arrested, and rewards totaling $1,000 have been given to students who have turned in others because of weapons, drugs or vandalism. Students in the five-high-school district say the so-called Zero-Tolerance program has begun to decrease campus crime.

Although the student tip program is relatively uncommon, district officials said several other school districts in California, Arizona and Washington state have contacted them about setting up similar programs.

Meanwhile, in another move by the district to reduce campus crime, officials used drug-sniffing dogs to conduct a sweep through Quartz Hill High School on Wednesday.

No drugs were found, district officials said.

All five high schools in the district will be visited by the dogs periodically, district officials said.

“It’s not drastic, it’s just another tool in schools attempting to keep drugs off campus,” said Girolamo.