The next day, as other students stood by, Jones jumped into a frigid pool at the base of a waterfall, said a West Virginia State Police investigator. Amid the rough currents, the 10th-grader went under and drowned.The death has prompted an internal investigation by the city school system, and at least one member of the City Council said he is considering hearings.

"He entered [the water] on his own accord," Teter said of the teen. The officer said it did not appear that Jones was knocked unconscious in the water. He said that other students were in the immediate area and that teachers were nearby."

There are strong undercurrents from the waterfall. That is a contributing factor," he said.He said that the campsite, near a place called Spruce Knob, is about eight miles from any dirt road and 15 miles from a paved highway.

After receiving an emergency call from a teacher with a satellite phone about 5 p.m., rescue workers got to the scene in two hours. Teter said he hiked two to three miles with heavy gear to find the campsite.

Forty-five students attend the school, which is technically an extension of the Samuel L. Banks High School. The camping trip is part of the school's alternative curriculum designed to empower students who struggle in traditional academic settings.

Kenneth enrolled in the school last year after he was expelled from Benjamin Franklin Middle School for being involved in a fight, his father said."He didn't want to deal with thugs," Jones said. "I stayed on him about being straight."

"He was great," said Jones, the father. "[On] a scale of 1 to 10, he was a 13."

For complete story go to http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-te.ci.drown31mar31,0,3392108.story?page=1&coll=bal-local-headlines

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