Pubdate: Tue, 16 Jul 2002
Source: Joplin Globe, The (MO)
Copyright: 2002 The Joplin Globe
Contact:  http://www.joplinglobe.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/859
Author: Susan Redden

BOARD DELAYS PLAN FOR DRUG TESTING

Carthage Panel Opts To Work On Program For 2003-04 School Year

CARTHAGE, Mo. - Plans for student drug testing this school year were halted 
Monday by the Carthage R-9 School Board.

Members instead agreed to follow a time schedule that would put the program 
in place at the start of the 2003-04 school year.

"We're not ready," said Debbie Baugh, when board president Neel Baucom 
asked for a motion on whether the program should start in the school year 
that begins Aug. 18.

Baugh was a member of a citizenship policy that recommended drug testing, 
and she has been the program's most vocal proponent on the board.

"I'd love to see it happen, but we'd be rushing it," she said. "I think we 
need to proceed with the policy for the 2003-2004 school year."

The decision came after the board president called for comments from all 
members.

He said he still is hearing from residents who say they cannot understand 
why all students cannot be tested, and who ask why the program would be 
restricted to interscholastic athletes and students involved in other 
extracurricular activities.

"I think we need to answer that," Baucom said. "I feel we don't have all 
the kinks worked out, and it concerns me that we might approve something 
we're not all ready to approve."

He said he also had been questioned about the program's expenses, which are 
predicted to range from $7,000 to $10,000.

Mariam Putnam said she had received few comments on the program, so she 
called people including a judge, some attorneys, teachers and former school 
board members.

"They're all concerned about students' health and safety, but most of them 
disagreed with the 5-4 court decision," she said, referring to a U.S. 
Supreme Court ruling last month. "They said they felt like testing would 
violate students' privacy. Some others said we don't do anything else 
randomly, and we should test everyone or no one."

Most of the people she called were parents, she said, and several expressed 
concerns that the policy would cause students to drop out of 
extracurricular activities. She said others argued that student peers and 
teachers do a good job of monitoring and reporting abuse problems so that 
students can get counseling.

"I hear just the opposite," said Baugh. "The only question I hear is, 
'What's the holdup?' The kids on the citizenship committee were in favor."

Mike Wells said he had received no calls.

Tony Diggs said he had received "only positive comments, and questions 
about when and how the policy would be implemented."

Steve Montague said people he has talked with "haven't had a problem with it."

He said the board should set a time line for completing the policy by the 
end of the year, and he and others called for another public forum to get 
residents' input.

Diggs said board members will be able to attend a Missouri School Board 
Association training session on drug policy this fall. Superintendent Gary 
Reed said Ray Harding, athletic director, will attend a workshop before 
school starts.

The board started looking at a policy aimed at extracurricular athletes. 
Then, the U.S. Supreme Court last month ruled that testing programs could 
be expanded to include students in other extracurricular activities. Reed 
said the 5-4 ruling in some ways had "muddied the water" because it allows 
for testing in some activities for which students also receive grades, such 
as band.

The district needs to sort out, he said, how a testing program can be 
implemented without depriving students of grades to which they have "a 
property right."

Baugh said after the meeting that she would prefer implementing the policy 
this year.

"But things need to be worked through to make sure it's done fairly," she said.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Beth