Staff at schools across the Okanagan are regularly finding used needles and even people injecting themselves on school property.

The needles are most often found in the mornings and cleared away before students arrive but drug users are sometimes found in “alcoves” and “nooks and crannies” on school grounds, district staff explained.

Students are also being taught to be on the lookout for needles and to report them to staff if discovered.

Todd Manuel, assistant superintendent at School District No. 67 (Okanagan Skaha), said staff are seeing increasing numbers of needles.

“We certainly have significant issues around folks struggling with addiction [who are coming onto school grounds],” he explained.

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“From time to time we are finding folks we assume are homeless and asking them to leave the property.

“We are trying to support those vulnerable folks while ensuring the safety of students.”

Manuel’s primary focus, however, is to guarantee the security of students.

“We are in the middle of an opioid crisis in this province,” he said.

“But we will never be in a position where we consider consumption of drugs on school grounds okay.”

He said he assumes that drug users are attracted to school property because it is “convenient” and offers “out of sight areas” like alcoves and stairwells.

“Our parents, of course, are concerned,” he said. “I’m a parent as well and share those concerns.”

In the Central Okanagan, meanwhile, certain schools are dealing with a similar problem.

Superintendent Kevin Kaardal said it was “not a new issue” – but stressed that staff are “always very concerned about the safety of kids”.

“We work very diligently to make sure we keep the schools safe,” he explained. “We keep a sharp eye out. Our students also keep an eye out.”

As in the South Okanagan, Kaardal said some of his schools – four in particular – have a recurring problem of finding used needles on school grounds.

“We also hire outside security that work to move people who are on school property, and shouldn’t be, who are maybe without a home and medicating on school property,” he said.

“We have people in our community who don’t have a place to live so they end up on our property. It’s an ongoing concern.”

Kaardal said he believes the frequency of the incidents increases as the weather warms, explaining: “I think it goes in waves.”

Both districts said they are working with parents, the RCMP and the broader community over the issue.