Three elementary students charged with possession of pot

Three Ben Brite Elementary students were arrested last week on charges of possession of marijuana, according to school officials.

Brownsville Independent School District police officers were dispatched to the school on South Browne Avenue on April 17 after they received a call from school officials there that three elementary students were found to be in possession of the illegal substance.

BISD spokeswoman Drue Brown would not provide additional information on the incident, such as their ages or grade level.

"I can provide no other descriptive information as they are minors," she said.

She added that Ben Brite Principal Frank Ortiz opted to not send a letter home to parents informing them of the incident. The school educates pre-kinder through fifth-grade students.

"Campus wide notification is at the discretion of the principal and the area administrator," Brown wrote in e-mail. "Parents are notified if it is believed there is a threat to student safety. Not all situations require campus-wide parent notification. It is a judgment call."

It was unclear Thursday afternoon if the students were booked into a jail here. When juveniles are arrested, they are usually transported by police to Security Services on Price Road where they are released to the custody of their parents.

BISD Police Chief Oscar Garcia did not immediately return calls for comment.