According to Tad Roach, head of school for St. Andrews School, they are the only school in America that is drug and alcohol free, and that students own that distinction. It appears that there is zero tolerance and that students abide by that rule. I would appreciate any current or former student’s or parent’s insight as to the over all reality of this claim. Thank you.
Tad is an incredible speaker; He is astoundingly well informed, and passionate. He is also a man of great integrity and authenticity. When he talks about the values of the school, what its vision and mission are, and talks about how well they are executing on that mission, he is articulate, accurate, and completely honest. The school executes on the values it espouses incredibly well. Really, it is a phenomenal place.
You don’t provide an exact quote, but I would unpack the statement you paraphrase a little bit…
The students buy into the values espoused at the school, and take a leadership role in helping protect the culture they want to live in. They take ownership of the culture and help it grow and adapt to changes in the larger cultural milieu. With alcohol and drugs, I will remind you that there are no day students… there is no routine contact with any supply route for contraband. That is a serious structural advantage in the battle against drug culture. And the faculty know every one of the kids, since it is a small place… Every adult knows (and has great rapport with, and cares about mentoring) every kid there, and interacts with them all day long… they would not only notice if a kid was under the influence, they would really notice if a kid was showing a pattern of withdrawal, moodiness, or seemed secretive (and care enough to investigate what was going on).
I don’t want to shock you, but some of these saints (particularly older ones) will use weed or alcohol when they are home on vacations with their old friends. I would guess that even in that home environment substance use is far less frequent and much more under control than for other kids their age. The prevailing attitude could be summed up as follows: We don’t judge each other for how people choose to live/act/party when they are at home, but we encourage each other to not bring any contraband back to school, and follow the rules.
In general, these kids take ethics and integrity and honor incredibly seriously. They are great kids; truly remarkable characters… and are happy to learn in a healthy, drug-free environment. Even those who might party at home would not bring drugs or alcohol with them to campus, nobody would react well to that. There would be no friend to party with. And no reason to try to party alone. (full disclosure: of course, over the years there have been rare instances of kids struggling with their own issues, who have violated this policy. My daughter was kind of shocked that a girl brought alcohol back, and drank alone in her single room… But that was an individual issue, and came to light because the kids around her saw that as remarkably unhealthy, and perhaps a cry for help that was brought to the attention of the adults).
This is quite a bit different from any other boarding school. Dramatically different, really. I remember one tour guide at a top school who said the rules about drug use were so draconian that “some of the kids don’t even bother with that stuff.” Seriously, some kids at that school actually maintained sobriety! Now, as to the claim that “they are the only school in America that is drug and alcohol free” there may be some small place off the radar that I haven’t heard of… But I sincerely believe that SAS is in a completely unique position in the pantheon of top tier boarding schools. There really is no drug or alcohol culture at the school, and I have not heard any similar claim at any of the other top schools.
This positive, healthy culture extends to other areas as well… I think gender relations and attitudes about sexuality are remarkably strong, positive, respectful, and healthy. And I believe that this is more positive and healthy than you will find at peer institutions. (Tad had a similar hyperbolic sounding statement in our first visit back, claiming the school was the best school in the country for girls… and consequently for boys too, since all benefitted from healthy relations… What was funny was how seniors in a panel echoed and supported the key points of his argument. The students’ ability to articulate and embrace noble values really helped sell us on the place). There are also real differences at the school in terms of technology addiction: e.g., kids needing to leave their phones in their room, and deal with people face to face, not via text.
[People have a tendency to assume that all kids lie to all adults about what is really going on. They laugh if you try to tell them about drugs and alcohol not being an issue at the school, and assume you’re a naive fool. I’ve had the pleasure to know kids of truly remarkable integrity and honor; kids who, in a community of trust and respect, are able to speak honestly and with authenticity about their values, and their choices (and occasional missteps and lessons learned). They all confirm, affirm, and celebrate the healthy culture. And the reports of the kids match up with the rate of discovered incidents… which are rare]
Tad sleeps well at night.
He cares incredibly deeply about these kids. And he has a remarkable sense of how things are going with the individuals and the culture as a whole… and he knows he can trust these kids to make good choices. [and when they don’t, it is dealt with as a teachable moment for those involved and the community… They are constantly reflecting on how well they are living their values].
As parents, we slept well at night too.
I could go on and on… and will engage in-depth via PM if anyone likes.
SAS has offered my kids a fantastic education, no school in the world would have been better for them (and they are remarkably strong students).
But what sets it apart from all the other schools is the incredibly close-knit, loving community, that challenges individuals to explore their values and beliefs… Saints mature into a thoughtful, authentic, happy and confident people. They’re willing to take risks, have determination, grit, and a sense of purpose, They have a deep connection to community, a desire to serve.
I do not want to appear as anti-SAS (because I am not), but this “holier than thou” campaign is a bit over the top.
Ouch.
@Publisher, I’d say it’s less of a campaign and more of an honest answer to a direct question.
Yeah, I’m a passionate supporter of the school. It’s an awesome place, with some unique strengths. Sorry if I’m a little over-enthusiastic.
I’m truly grateful to this forum for helping our family find it, and try to return the favor to other families that might be interested.
St. Andrew’s School is a very financially stable Episcopalian 100% co-ed boarding school. Endowment is a healthy $195 million &, even more impressive, is the approximate $630,000 EPS (endowment per student) that assures that SAS can afford the best teachers & top facilities as well as meeting the financial aid needs of accepted students.
The zero tolerance policy regarding alcohol & drugs is admirable, but kids–as do all human beings–make mistakes.
I have to admit"…the more I hear about SAS, the more I like it for buuznkid2
@buuzn03: Worth short-listing for sure. It was put on our radar by a person who worked at another prep school when my older girl (now a junior in college) was starting her search years ago.
It’s difficult to describe SAS without sounding like hyperbole — and it certainly isn’t for everyone — but I think you’ll find most of the CC parents who have/had kids go there are, like seekers, big fans.
My husband and daughter will be there on Tuesday! Can’t wait to hear their reports back!
We know a couple of former SAS students who say even 15-20 years ago, alcohol and drugs were mostly kept at home. (Dip tobacco might be more of an issue among the boys).
FWIW, we also got the impression that Thacher kids also limit their alcohol and drugs to when they are at home visiting friends…
The two schools couldn’t look more different, but the cultures seemed similar in their emphasis on kindness and authenticity…
I don’t know when the rules on tobacco changed, @CaliMex…
but all forms of tobacco have been prohibited while my kids have been there
(“including but not limited to cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and dip”).
So, no, the kids don’t dip.
Hope all enjoy the visit back!
(I don’t think ‘dip’ was ever allowed… more of a secret indulgence among some of the boys…)
@seekers - I think SAS is a great school if only because of the reactions of some of its parents whose opinions I have come to trust over the years on CC. However, it is NOT dramatically different from Thacher in its healthiness, drug/alcohol use, values, gender respect, headmaster quality, physical loveliness, community warmth etc. In fact, I don’t see any difference at all in this regard or in their approach to respective honor codes.
Good to know, @ThacherParent…
I don’t want to take this thread too far off the original question, but I am curious now…
SAS has a lot of intentional and active reflection on values, baked into every chapel talk and school meeting (whether explicit or implicit).
As noted, the students take a leadership role in fostering and protecting that healthy culture (that differs so dramatically from the rest of modern cultural pressures).
So, I’m intimately familiar with how the magic happens at SAS…
If Thatcher is equally successful in creating and maintaining a healthy and happy culture, how do they do it? To what do you attribute their success?
FWIW, having visited Thacher (was out there for a wedding and they were kind enough to humor me despite not having any intentions for 7D2 to apply) and been an SAS parent, I would agree that the vibe is very similar.
I think Tad would agree…and I know the former Thacher head thought the same — because when I ran into him on our tour and told him that we had a kid at SAS, he said something like “We love Tad…the schools have a lot in common.” 
@seekers - Crazy day so I’ll be brief. First, it’s Thacher, not Thatcher ;). I can’t think of a single thing that you’ve noted that doesn’t also happen at Thacher. However, in addition to the intentional and constant weaving of values into formal and informal discussions etc, the School also relies on its deep connections to the natural world to make and reinforce habits of kindness, teamwork, humility, honor, grace under pressure, resourcefulness, love of others etc. The mountains, ocean, the care of horses, seriously challenging ventures into the wilderness are surprisingly effective at teaching the value of “doing,” instead of talking. It’s one thing to hear values expressed at a chapel talk or overlooking the Ojai Valley, and a whole other thing to put these values into actual practice in challenging circumstances. All of us parents have things about “our schools” that we love. What we loved the most about Thacher was the “doing” of the honor code and the self-confidence that comes from that.
All I can say is- Thank God for the voices promoting schools that aren’t discussed as often as others. It’s a real and very valuable service to the CC community. Thank you!! 
I too am a huge fan of SAS, but I also can relate a little bit to what @Publisher is saying Both of my kids have friends there and most of them have had great experiences, but not all of them. While SAS certainly fosters a positive culture, and they put a lot of focus and effort into that (other top HADES-type schools should take note!) no school is perfect. In terms of being “drug and alcohol-free”? ummm… no. And neither is Thacher. But SAS and Thacher and others (cough Cate) are most definitely schools that promote a clean culture, if that makes sense. Partying & breaking the rules is not considered cool, and the administration has worked hard to advance that, to their immense credit.
What is shocking to me are the schools that don’t seem to have a positive, drug/alcohol-free culture as a top priority. They SAY they do, but the reality is quite different. Look to attrition #s for a more complete picture - @ThacherParent has been saying this for as long as I’ve been on this board. If a school is expelling kids for drug & alcohol use on a regular basis, and if large numbers of kids are subject to random drug-testing as part of a disciplinary action, then this “positive culture” that we are all talking about is not an institutional priority. Period.
@GMC2918 I think your comment about attrition numbers makes perfect sense. Where does one find these numbers? I appreciate any guidance.
Thacher publishes its attrition rate (1%) on its website under “Facts That Matter.” Most schools will give it to you if you ask. Like anything, the places that are free with that information are the ones who like the results. As @GMC2918 noted (good memory by the way), I have always paid attention to yield and attrition as good (not perfect) markers of a healthy school and a top notch admission’s team.