Pubdate: Fri, 28 Jun 2002 Source: Oklahoman, The (OK) Copyright: 2002 The Oklahoma Publishing Co. Contact: http://www.oklahoman.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/318 Author: Michael Bratcher AREA DISTRICTS TO EXAMINE TEST POLICIES Schools: Tests 'A Way to Say No' More Oklahoma students could face drug tests this fall as school officials across the state re-examine their drug-testing policies. Any changes would follow the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling Thursday allowing districts to test students who participate in athletics and other extracurricular activities. In Harrah, no districtwide drug testing policy is in place, but Superintendent Dean Hughes said the court's decision could cause the school board to consider the idea. "The issue at this point will be costs," he said. "I think the board will revisit that, but now where that will go, I cannot speculate." Hughes said he was superintendent in another district that tested all athletes, which cost the district about $10,000 a year. At a time when districts are facing state aid shortfalls, funding to cover tests may have to come from outside the districts. Superintendent Roxie Terry of Drumright Public Schools said his district suspended testing pending the Tecumseh case's outcome. Drumright tested all students involved in extracurricular activities for about a year and a half before the Tecumseh case was first heard. During that time, about 65 percent of the student body was affected. Only one test was positive for drug use, he said. "By having the testing policy in place, it gave those kids a way to say no to drugs and yet still be cool, and that was really the whole purpose," Terry said. "When it was presented in that way, not only did the kids support it, but so did the parents, teachers and coaches." Now that the Supreme Court has reached a decision, the district intends to reinstate the policy, Terry said. Drumright schools will continue to rely on donations from civic and community organizations to pay for drug tests. Lucy Smith, school superintendent in McAlester, said she was pleased with the decision. She said sponsors of extracurricular activities have inquired about testing students in their programs, but the district was told to follow strict interpretations of former Supreme Court rulings. "I know our board will want to look at the picture in terms of this decision," Smith said. School officials in Pauls Valley considered adopting a policy similar to Tecumseh's but ultimately decided just to test athletes last year, Superintendent Bobby Russell said. Russell said he won't immediately recommend any changes to the policy. He said any changes would need community input. That's the advice Tecumseh's attorney and an attorney for the Oklahoma State School Boards Association said they will give districts seeking input about drug-testing policies. They said community support can be crucial. Linda Meoli, who argued Tecumseh's case before the Supreme Court, said she would urge districts to use other tools to fight drug use before resorting to drug testing. She said Tecumseh uses police security in schools, surveillance cameras, drug interdiction dogs and drug prevention programs. Julie Vogt, a state school boards association attorney who regularly advises state school boards, said a survey two years ago revealed more than 100 or Oklahoma's 500 districts said they would consider drug testing if the courts issued a definitive decision. "We had a lot of districts that abandoned the practice when all this came about that will probably rethink that now," she said. - --- MAP posted-by: Alex