Oak Harbor school officials are looking at easing up on student athletes who make a mistake with drugs, alcohol, or some other athletic code violation.

They’re considering changing the school district’s athletic code to allow athletes a chance to participate in the sports season even after they get caught. That way, there’s a chance the offender will still participate in a healthy activity rather than be cut loose from a positive environment.

“We want to keep them connected to the school, and kids make mistakes,” said Athletic Director Nicki Luper during Monday’s school board meeting.

A draft of the proposed athletic code change shows that students discovered using alcohol, tobacco, drugs or participating in illegal activities would be suspended for 30 percent of the season for the first offense, 50 percent of the season for the second offense, and one calendar year for the third offense.

The current code states the athletes who run afoul of the rules will be suspended for the season after the first violation, suspended for a calendar year after the second violation and permanently barred from athletics after the third violation.

Officials have found the current policy to be too broad.

“Most people are moving away from zero-tolerance policies because they cast too wide of a net,” Superintendent Rick Schulte said. “The goal is not to punish kids. It’s to prevent them from getting involved with it in the first place.”

School board member Corey Johnson questioned whether the proposed code should have more stringent standards.

“I don’t know if the matrix is tough enough,” Johnson said. “If a kid does drugs, then they should be out.”

Luper responded that it’s important to have flexibility in the code, especially if athletes come forward and admit bad behavior, which happened two times last year. Those two students were automatically out for the season.

The proposed code offers a chance for a student athlete who voluntarily comes forward and admits a violation of the athletic code to have the option of entering treatment in lieu of being kicked off the team.

School board members openly wondered what would happen if the proposed code was toughened up to where students would lose half of their season with the first violation.

Luper replied that athletes would likely have to leave because coaches couldn’t design a program specifically for an athlete who is missing half the season. It’s still considered possible to work with them if they only miss only 30 percent.

There is more work to do on the proposed athletic code. Luper will bring the policy to coaches and Booster Club members to get more input.

She said that it looks like there won’t be a draft ready for approval until September. Once approved, she said it probably won’t be implemented until the winter sports season to allow time to inform athletes and families.