Pubdate: Fri, 28 Dec 2001
Source: Huntsville Item (TX)
Copyright: 2001 Huntsville Item and Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.itemonline.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1126
Author: Dawn Ayers, Staff Writer

HISD DRUG POLICY DEBATED IN 2001

Drug policy took center stage this year as Huntsville Independent School 
District discussed a controversial plan that would have required students 
at HISD involved in extracurricular activities to be randomly tested for 
drug use once a year.

A little more than a year ago, a recommendation by a Huntsville ISD board 
member to implement mandatory drug testing in area schools created much 
discussion among board members, students and concerned citizens.

After much debate, board members tabled the drug-testing policy in August 
2000, and a school district task force was developed to study the problems 
and issues surrounding drug and alcohol use.

At the September 2001 board meeting, board member Terry Vogler requested 
board members discuss the issue in October.

Vogler said in an earlier interview evidence has shown that drug use has 
been an increasing problem among high school and middle school students.

"The problem is not getting any better," he said. "A lot of teachers work 
hard in the classroom to do their best with students and they need 100 
percent of the students' attention. I believe it (drug use) has increased 
and statistics would show that it is continuously increasing. It needs to 
be addressed; if we can save one child then it is worth it."

Doug Karr, a senior on the Hornet varsity football team, said in an earlier 
interview he "completely disagreed" with the proposal.

"They are bringing athletes out into the open," he said. "We are being 
discriminated against. If you're an athlete and you want to be successful, 
you can't do drugs."

In a 4-to-2 vote at October's board meeting, the HISD board of trustees 
decided to "just say no" to the proposal for mandatory drug testing.

Task force member David O'Neil, a Huntsville attorney who provided legal 
presentation for the committee, said after the ruling the board failed to 
show just cause for randomly testing students when they could not 
illustrate that a problem existed.

"When did we decide there was a problem? When did we decide that we didn't 
need to look at the legal issues?," he asked. "We are the ones who are 
going to pay this bill. I hear talk about, "if we help one child,' Well, 
I've got a news flash. That's not a legal standard. If you proceed on that 
course, you're going to get sued. You're going to lose. I don't know what 
else to tell you."

The board's ruling spawned debate and left many board members concentrating 
on what to do next.

J.T. Langley, president of the HISD board, said in an earlier interview 
that although he was not in attendance at the board meeting, he feels the 
issue needs further study.

"An independent survey conducted among students at Huntsville High School 
and Mance Park Middle School indicated about a 30 percent incidence of drug 
use among students," he said. "Those figures are much higher than the 
figures accumulated by the drug task force appointed to study the issue for 
the school board. That's a pretty high number. Even if you took a third 
off, you're still looking at 20 percent or better. We need to readdress our 
survey. We need to determine whether it's good."

Board member Patrick Antwi, who presided over the meeting in Langley's 
absence, agreed discussion on the issue must continue.

"I think from the discussion we had...we need to look at a plan or a policy 
that deals with substance abuse on our campuses," he said. "I think in the 
end we may go to some kind of drug testing."

Although he voted against the policy, Antwi said in an earlier interview he 
feels a problem with drugs does exist in HISD and believes it is the 
responsibility of the board to address it.

"I do think there is a problem, and it's something we need to talk about or 
workshop about," he said. "I believe that if you're a student, if you take 
part in any extracurricular or co-curricular activity, you need to be 
drug-free."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom