11-year-old Cape student allegedly brings marijuana to middle school

Southeast Missourian

An 11-year-old Central Middle School student was referred to juvenile court Tuesday after he allegedly brought a small baggie containing marijuana to school, Cape Girardeau police reported Thursday.

Police reports say the boy had brought the marijuana to school, bragging that he had the substance to other students on his bus ride to school. During the course of the school day the student gave the bag to another student, who took the marijuana to a teacher, according to the incident report.

Finding an 11-year-old in possession of drugs is an unusual occurrence, said Cape Girardeau police Cpl. Jason Selzer.

"We don't normally get kids 11 years old with marijuana," Selzer said. The incident report gave no indication where the child obtained the marijuana, he said.

Cape Girardeau schools superintendent David Scala said the incident shouldn't be a cause for concern among parents of middle school students.

"That's the first incident I know of at the middle school," said Scala, who started as superintendent in August 2005. "I wouldn't see any cause for alarm."