JACKSON TWP — Seneca Valley School District will apply for a Vaping Prevention and Education Grant in the amount of $6,610.

Jeff Roberts, gifted education and student services supervisor, requested school board approval to apply for this grant through Highmark in coordination with the district’s efforts to stop students from vaping and using other drugs.

The grant money would be used to buy six vaping and sound detectors at the Intermediate High School.

While discipline is a concern in cases of vaping or other drugs on school grounds, Superintendent Tracy Vitale, who has spoken about teen vaping as a nationwide issue in the past, has emphasized the importance of preventative actions in stopping students from vaping.

“My concern isn’t what we’re seeing on the side of discipline,” Vitale said. “I think we have a lot that aren’t getting caught — in all schools, not just Seneca Valley. As a school district, we are about prevention; we are about student safety, health and wellness in kids and brain development (which) impacts learning.”

Vitale said the topic is important to the district because preventative action is key to stopping addiction.

“It’s not a Seneca Valley thing,” she said. “It’s not a Pennsylvania thing. It’s everywhere. If we catch this early, then hopefully we can stop it, and it won’t lead to other things. It’s very easy to make the leap from a traditional cigarette to a joint of marijuana.”