CRANDALL — A student caught with a THC vape cartridge at Crandall High School could face removal from regular classes and a separate criminal investigation. But being disciplined by the school does not automatically mean the student will be arrested, charged with a crime or prosecuted.
The distinction matters as Texas schools confront violations involving marijuana, THC concentrates, prescription medications and allegations of drug distribution.
State discipline records show that Crandall High School took hundreds of disciplinary actions during the 2024–2025 school year. What those figures do not reveal is how many drug-related incidents resulted in police referrals, arrests or criminal charges.
That unanswered question is important for parents trying to understand where school punishment ends and the juvenile justice system begins.
What Crandall High’s Discipline Records Reveal
A September analysis by Shop in Seagoville of Texas Education Agency records identified 997 disciplinary actions involving 398 Crandall High students during the 2024–2025 school year.
Among those actions:
- 194 involved disciplinary alternative education program (DAEP) placements.
- 169 DAEP actions were classified as mandatory.
- 25 DAEP actions were classified as discretionary.
Those numbers cover various disciplinary violations, not exclusively drugs.
The publicly reviewed figures do not establish how many students possessed THC, distributed controlled substances or were referred to law enforcement.
The verified number of drug-related incidents resulting in police referrals remains undetermined. That does not mean no referrals occurred. It means an accurate count requires incident-level school and police records that have not been verified for this investigation.
THC Products Can Trigger Two Investigations
Under Texas Education Code Section 37.006, possession, use, distribution or being under the influence of marijuana or THC in specified school-related circumstances generally requires DAEP placement.
Crandall ISD’s published 2025–2026 Student Code of Conduct incorporates that requirement.
However, criminal consequences depend on the actual substance, evidence and applicable criminal statute.
Possession of two ounces or less of usable marijuana is generally a Class B misdemeanor under Texas law. Unlawful possession of a THC concentrate classified as a Penalty Group 2 controlled substance can constitute a felony, even in quantities under one gram.
Not every product marketed as containing THC automatically qualifies for felony prosecution. The substance’s chemical composition, applicable hemp laws and laboratory findings can affect the legal classification.
School administrators can impose discipline under education law while police independently investigate whether a criminal offense occurred.
Nicotine Vapes Face Different Rules
An important change in Texas law makes the distinction clearer.
Under legislation enacted in 2023, students possessing e-cigarettes generally faced mandatory DAEP placement. Crandall ISD still has an older webpage describing that requirement.
Texas revised the law in 2025.
Under the revised statute, a first-time e-cigarette possession or use violation may result in DAEP placement. If a student is not assigned to DAEP for that first offense, the law generally requires at least 10 school days of in-school suspension.
Selling, giving or delivering an e-cigarette remains a mandatory DAEP offense under specified school-related circumstances.
Crandall ISD’s published 2025–2026 conduct code reflects these distinctions. THC violations must be evaluated separately from nicotine-only vaping incidents.
When Drug Distribution Becomes More Serious
Allegations involving students selling or distributing drugs can produce substantially more serious consequences than a simple school rule violation.
Texas law provides for mandatory expulsion for certain felony-level controlled-substance offenses involving drugs other than marijuana or THC.
Crandall ISD’s conduct code also identifies felony drug offenses among conduct requiring expulsion.
Criminal investigators must separately determine whether sufficient evidence supports allegations of possession, delivery or another offense.
The quantity and type of substance, laboratory results and other admissible evidence can influence the potential charges.
An allegation that a student sold drugs is not proof that distribution occurred. Likewise, an administrative finding supporting school discipline is not a criminal conviction.
When Must Administrators Contact Police?
Texas Education Code Section 37.015 requires principals or designated employees to notify appropriate law enforcement when they have reasonable grounds to believe certain crimes occurred in school-related settings.
These include suspected criminal possession, use or sale of controlled substances, marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
Crandall ISD operates its own police department, whose officers have authority to investigate criminal violations.
But several outcomes must be distinguished:
School discipline: Administrators impose consequences for violations of the student code.
Police referral: School officials notify law enforcement about suspected criminal activity.
Arrest: Officers take a person into custody under applicable law.
Criminal proceedings: Prosecutors or juvenile authorities determine whether and how to pursue a case.
One incident can involve several of these steps without resulting in a conviction.
The Missing Numbers Parents Deserve
The Texas Education Agency publishes disciplinary records, while the federal Civil Rights Data Collection reports school-related arrests and law-enforcement referrals.
However, an overall police-referral total cannot establish how many referrals specifically involved THC, controlled substances or distribution allegations.
To determine Crandall High’s actual record across the 2023–2024, 2024–2025 and 2025–2026 school years, school disciplinary data must be compared with anonymized police incident records, referral classifications and available case outcomes.
The essential questions are straightforward: How many drug incidents were documented? How many were referred to police? How many produced criminal allegations or charges? And how many ended with school discipline alone?
Until those records are reconciled, describing Crandall High’s mandatory alternative-school placements as criminal drug cases would misrepresent the evidence.
For parents, the difference can be life-changing. A student can face serious educational consequences without a criminal charge, while another incident can lead to both disciplinary removal and juvenile criminal proceedings.
The outstanding accountability question is whether Crandall High’s documented responses show consistent treatment of similar drug offenses, and exactly how often school discipline becomes a police matter.
