MORRISTOWN — The sixth grade students in Marie Compston’s reading class at Union Local Middle School are learning about pollution and ways to care for the environment.

On Thursday they brought a proposal before the board of education, with the aim of bringing a recycling program to the district and taking other measures to reduce pollution in the planet’s oceans. A full board of William Porter, Koel Davia, Dan Lucas, Terry Puperi and Ed Stenger heard their presentation.

Compston said news reports about rising amounts of plastic in the world’s oceans motivated the students to take action.

“The students became involved and wanted to help, so they created basically a crusade to try to do what they can in their corner of the world, which was to ask the school board to set up recycling bins for plastic and paper in the cafeteria,” Compston said. “The cafeterias have no recycling in them, and there are a lot of possibilities.”

The students brought other plans to the board as well, such as a recycling program for used crayons and dried up markers. They pointed out that the Crayola company has such a service and would provide it at no cost to the district.

“We took walks around campus and just saw the different trash that’s just laying about and that eventually, through wind or flood or whatever, ends up in the ocean,” Compston said. “They divided themselves up into different groups, and they researched and created and did it on their own. It was completely on their own.”

“The kids did this project. They did it independently,” Sheryl Sonk, another sixth grade reading teacher, said. “They started it and suggested it and (Compston) let them take it wherever they wanted to take it.”

The students will write a policy proposal and present it to the board.

In other matters, Union Local High School Principal Joel Davia updated the board on a proposed drug-free program that would cover every student in the district from seventh-graders to seniors. He said the program would call for regular screenings and all non-academic privileges would be contingent on participation.

“Parking on campus, being in sports, being in clubs, anything that’s a privilege, not the free public education,” Davia said.

Davia said he is working out treatment options for students who may need it.

“We’re not out to get the kids. We’re trying to identify the problem and help them,” Davia said, adding that he will be meeting with area judges and representatives of the educational service center May 15 and present a policy for the board’s review during the next meeting.

He added that the students seem receptive to the idea.

“I’ve talked to a couple kids about it, and they didn’t care one way or another. They understand the idea. It’s not about trying to catch somebody, it’s able trying to help them get their life straightened out,” Davia said. “The first time is going to be all help, there’s no penalty.”