Disappointment hits some students at Englewood High School. On Sep. 21, 2022, a message was sent out to parents and staff about a deadly drug circulating in communities around  Colorado; rainbow fentanyl. As news of this started spreading around school grounds, it became apparent that students didn’t know anything about it. 

Sophomore Elliot McConnell, expresses his feelings about this lack of information, “I think I was kind of just disappointed. I mean, to be perfectly honest, I think that a lot of these things aren’t told to students directly and they should be. I was disappointed, but I wasn’t shocked.” 

McConnell also considered that Halloween was close to this event, “The kids are the one’s trick or treating, and they might find rainbow fentanyl, right? So they should know.”

McConnell says information between students spreads quickly whether it comes to them directly, “We found out anyways, so we may as well learn it directly from the district.”

When asked about this, Principal Ryan West was apologetic and understanding of student concerns: “I’ve been trying to be very transparent in all my communications this year and sending things out to everybody. That particular email I received directly from the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office and they said “Please distribute this information to your parents,” and so that’s what I did. I don’t know why I didn’t send that out to students. That wasn’t intentional. Part of me didn’t want to alarm people, but part of me thinks that students need to be aware that that’s out there.”

Principal West has no concerns about this drug being in EHS at the moment, but he does know the dangers, “It’s more dangerous than any other drug that’s out there right now. and I would just hate for our kids to come in contact with that or have to experience that.”