- November 16, 2025
So far this school year, 21 fourth and fifth grade students in Volusia County Schools have been caught with a vape while on campus.
To address what district staff is saying is a "rising concern," VCS has implemented a program to educate elementary students against the use of vapes. The program mirrors the district's existing educational initiative for students in middle and high schools, but is designed for students in fourth and fifth grade. The School Board was given an overview of the district's Volusia Assistance and Prevention Education program during their workshop on Tuesday, Oct. 28.
"We were seeing a rising concern with elementary students being caught with vapes, with fourth and fifth grade students primarily," said Mike Micallef, VCS executive director of graduation assurance and student services. "It's a concern. I think when you have one or two at that level of age, it should be a concern."
The VAPE program aims to teach children about the harmful ingredients in vapes, develop healthy coping strategies, understand consequences and learn school rules and laws, according to the district's presentation.
Only students who are first-time offenders for the possession and/or use of a vape are eligible to take part in the program, which requires parental consent and must be completed within nine weeks with a passing score of 80% or higher on all quizzes.
Micallef said that when addressing vape use in students, the consequence in the past was a suspension.
"We weren't trying to educate them," he said. "We weren't trying to do anything out of the norm to change that behavior."
If the parent does not provide consent for their student to take part in the program, the student will likely be sent to an alternative education site for 45 days.
In addition to the VAPE program, VCS has also introduced a Threat and Wellness Program for students who have made school threats or "demonstrated concerning behaviors related to safety and respect," the presentation states. This includes possession of toy guns or knives at school and making violent threats — including ones to harm the school or school community.
The program has modules for students in kindergarten to second grade, and third to fifth grade. It is designed for first-time offenses only as an educational intervention, according to the district.
"We want to teach strategies for making safe, responsible, positive choices," said Jessica McIntyre, VCS coordinator of mental health services. "Taking those responsibilities for the decisions that they do make, developing that emotional regulation, expression skills and overall, working to foster that culture of kindness and respect."
Students taking part in this program must have parental consent and at least one counseling session with a school counselor. The program must be completed within two weeks and also requires a passing grade of 80% or higher on all assessments.
Students who fail to complete the program could end up in an alternative school or receiving off-campus instruction.
To date, 24 students in kindergarten through second grade have enrolled in the program, 10 of which have already completed it. For the third to fifth grade modules, 530 students have been enrolled, with 16 having completed it.
Second and fifth grade have been the sources for the highest enrollments, McIntyre said.
"It's such a key developmental time with social peers, deciding your own ways of thinking," she said. "That development is so key in those two ages, so it is very interesting that those are our two highest points there."
