High school officials in a small coastal community north of Boston are demanding action from parents after a number of students were caught with drugs or alcohol in off-campus incidents over the past year.

Swampscott High School leaders have scheduled a mandatory meeting, slated for tonight, to discuss the problem. A letter sent out to parents and signed by Swampscott’s new principal, Layne Millington, says “all parents or guardians must attend.”

If parents don’t show at the meeting or don’t make other arrangements to meet with the principal their kids won’t be allowed to participate in extracurricular activities. No sports. No clubs. No trips.

Millington started on the job in July after serving in other districts. He’s seen many tragedies, from suicides to accidents, claim the lives of young people during his tenure as a school administrator and is unapologetic about the mandatory meeting.

“The drug and alcohol tragedies can tear a town apart in ways that the others don’t because after the tragedy, after the impact that that has, then come the questions and the blame. Where were the parents? Where was the school? Where were the other kids at the party? And that tears a community apart and then after that, lots of times, come the lawsuits and that tears a community apart,” said Millington. “I don’t want to see this happen here. I don’t.”

The meeting will be held in two groups to accommodate the parents of all 770 students. The letter reads: “As parents enter the auditorium, they will be given a copy of a new chemical health policy contract to sign. These will be collected at the end of each presentation. Students not covered by a contract signed at one of these meetings will be unable to participate in athletics or any extracurricular activities that are not a part of the core curriculum beginning with the spring sports season in March.”

While most parents support the goal of reducing drug and alcohol use among teens in the community, many are a bit miffed about the compulsory nature of the gathering and the consequences students could face.

“I agree that it is a huge problem but I don’t believe that they should be enforcing a mandatory meeting and penalizing the kids if the parents don’t show up,” said Heidi Smyth who’s daughter is a junior at the school.

Parent Cristine DiBenedetto shares Smyth’s reservations.

“I think it’s a good idea to address the issue. As far as it’s mandatory, I think it’s a little too much to ask,” said DiBenedetto who’s daughter, a senior, told her the meeting was a must. “She was saying that she can’t participate in any clubs. She’s scheduled to go on a school trip and if I don’t go to the meeting she can’t go.”

Millington points out a team of students, parents, administrators and teachers gathered together to create the school’s new chemical health policy, which includes expanded consequences for students who are caught abusing drugs or alcohol, like having the privilege to participate in extracurricular activities revoked. Millington says it’s that committee that came up with the mandatory requirement.

The new principal admits he expected some backlash but has seen very little, receiving just a handful of calls and mail expressing concerns about the meeting. Superintendent Lynne Celli says she has received no more than 20 calls or e-mails on the issue and stands by the plan which she believes puts the safety of students at the forefront.

“I go back to the gravity of the situation and how important it is for every one of us in the community to embrace this and to do it together,” said Celli.

Suffolk University Law Professor Michael Avery says the school may not be breaking any laws but could be seen as intrusive.

“Even if it’s not unconstitutional I think it runs against a lot of constitutional values, the integrity of the family, letting parents decide themselves what’s good for their children, not forcing people to go to meetings that they don’t want to go to,” said Avery.