"I think the BOE needs to have a strong statement to say we will not tolerate and we will use any means within legal limits to deter drugs from coming on to our campus," she said.

"We're just doing the preliminary work for the schools so we can facilitate it for them," she explained. "It would be up to the individual school (whether or not to use the dogs)."

The proposal is still in the early stages, and some BOE members have reservations about the idea, one member said.

Two O'ahu private schools, Academy of the Pacific and Saint Louis School, have begun using dogs.

If approved, the BOE proposal would allow the regular use of drug-sniffing dogs in public schools. Specially-trained dogs have been brought in by police before, but only for specific situations, such as bomb scares.

A proposal to require drug testing for public school students failed in the past legislative session. In the debate over that idea, state and school officials and others raised questions about costs, effectiveness, civil rights and need. Mid-Pacific Institute, another private school, is considering a voluntary drug-testing program.

The proposal for drug-sniffing dogs got mixed response from students.

Laine Higa, a junior at Castle High School, said drug-sniffing dogs should be allowed on campus as a way to reduce substance abuse. But Mika Bailey, a junior at Kahuku High and Intermediate, doesn't like the idea.

"It's kind of scary," Bailey said. "It's like they don't trust us."

Dogs and police running around the school looking for drugs is frightening and would be disruptive, she said. "Everyone would be freaking out," she said.

Bailey said that although she has heard of students selling drugs on campus, she thinks it might be just kids spreading rumors.

"It's not like you see people smoking pot outside your classroom," Bailey said.

But both students' moms like the idea and believe it would make the schools safer.

Mika's mother, Lorretta Bailey, said that three years ago Mika's brother was offered drugs and she didn't learn about it until she just happened to ask him.

"I think a lot of Polynesian kids, they will never say if they have been approached," said Loretta Bailey, who is of Polynesian descent.

June Higa, Laine's mother, said dogs would reveal who was carrying drugs and would help eliminate drugs from campus.

Interquest Detection Canines conducts the dog-sniffing programs at Academy of the Pacific and Saint Louis, and its Hawai'i representative, Whitney White, said the company has programs in 1,100 school districts in 24 states and more than 400 private schools.

White already has made one presentation to the BOE, and will answer questions at Monday's meeting.

According to Interquest, dogs can reduce drug use up to 70 percent after the first year. White, who lives on Maui, said the dogs can sniff out drugs, alcohol, gunpowder and medications.

"This is one of the (few) tools available to administrators," in combating drug use, she said.

At Academy of the Pacific and Saint Louis, White brings one of her dogs — nonaggressive golden or Labrador retrievers — in for unannounced checks a couple times a month.

"I very randomly do a couple sets of classrooms ... and check the backpacks," she said. The students are kept out of the room during that time.

The dogs also check lockers and cars parked in the student parking lot. If anything is detected, "the dog just sits, and that's the indication to the handler that something is in that locker or in that car," White said.

Charles Hall, dean of students at Saint Louis, said he is pleased with the program and plans to continue using it.

"There's never been a hit for any illegal drugs or paraphernalia," he said. There is little worry that the dogs miss contraband because White plants something each time, which the dog is able to detect.

"Everyone is very happy that there hasn't been any problems, and it's been very easy working with the company," Hall said. "The students' reaction has been very positive, and the routine has been very smooth."

Drug use by students continues to be a concern, although Elaine Wilson, chief of the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division of the state Department of Health, said the incidence among Hawai'i youth is down.

"The use is slowly declining, which is following the national trend," said Wilson. "I think that's true for all drugs (except Ecstasy)."

Cochran thinks the dogs could be an effective deterrent because students never know when they will be on campus, whereas they can often predict school security guards' routines.

The only limitation is that the dogs will not approach students, so the dogs would not be able to tell if someone is carrying contraband in a pocket.

"Personally, I am really all for this. We have to at least give it a try, at least as a pilot project," Cochran said.

Laine Higa, the Castle High student, said he thought the dogs would be a good idea as long as they didn't disrupt school or take away from class time.

"Because we shouldn't have to worry about having drugs in school," he said.