According to a 2006-2008 California Health Kids survey, up to 13 percent of district students in grades seven through eleven said they've used /*marijuana*/ on school property.
Since 2008, the district has seen a 17-percent increase in the number of students suspended for drug-related offenses, a district official told the Desert Sun, a local newspaper.
The American Civil Liberties Union has raised objections of the drug-sniffing dogs, citing concerns about student privacy.
The drug detection program will be funded using federal Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities funds.
City News Service contributed to this report.