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NEW DRUG POLICY FOR JAX SCHOOLS

"I have already had a lot of parents come up and tell me they are behind this program 100 percent," explained Jacksonville City Schools Superintendent Dr.  Eric Mackey, following Thursday night's meeting of the Jacksonville Board of Education.  "Many of them have expressed how pleased they are that we are planning to do this.  "This is cutting edge stuff for this area.  We are the first among our neighbors to consider a policy of this nature and will be one of the first to implement it."

Mackey was talking about a plan discussed during the meeting to implement a drug testing policy in city schools.  The policy would test students participating in competitive programs to submit to random testing for illegal drugs, non-prescribed prescription drugs, alcohol and tobacco products.

"If you have any students using illegal drugs or using alcohol and tobacco products underage, in my opinion, you have a problem," noted Mackey, when questioned whether this policy was in response to problematic behavior in city schools.  "It really depends on how you define a problem."

While Mackey indicated Jacksonville schools did not have an exorbitant amount of students involved in this type of activity, as schools in some more metropolitan areas do, he suggests this policy is not to stamp out what is there so much as to stop what could be the natural progression of this kind of activity.

"If we don't do something now, we could have a problem five years down the road," added Mackey.  "We look at this as a preventative measure."

The testing of students at schools is not a new procedure, but one that dates back to the early 1980s.  Two decades ago, a storm of activity swept through the midwestern United States, prompting school systems in that area to implement random drug testing policies.  These policies caught on slowly and have spread throughout the nation.  Alabama schools finally picked up the ball and ran with it about three years ago, with systems in Hoover, Vestavia, Pell City and Shelby County implementing their own versions.  Calhoun County, however, has yet to have a school that implements this policy.

"We are looking to implement a policy patterned largely from the one adopted by Shelby County Schools," continued Mackey.  "We basically have been keeping our eyes on this procedure for a while now, letting others jump in and test the waters.  Now, we feel we have a firm grasp on what works and what does not and how to best go about implementing a plan of this magnitude."

Mackey noted that Jacksonville expects to have a policy in place by late November.  He stresses, however, that testing will not actually begin until the spring and even then on a limited basis.

"The courts have said," explained Mackey, "that the policy must be in place prior to the tryout period for a sport.  Obviously, sports going on right now, or where tryouts will be underway prior to the end of November, would not be eligible for this policy.  Band and other activities, like FFA and various organizations, have also already held their sign-up periods for the year, so they will be excluded initially.

"Only spring sports will receive testing during this first year of existence for the policy."

Mackey notes, however, that all sports and programs will be captured under the umbrella of policy testing starting with the next school year.  Additionally, all students who drive to school, an activity that is voluntary and not a necessary part of a child's education, will be subject to random testing before being allowed to participate.

Mackey also noted that currently, steroids are not listed among the items for which students will be tested.  He explained that was a different test all together, and system officials do not feel warranted in adding this extra cost.  However, the board's policy against performance enhancing drugs is such that these tests can be added at any time it is deemed necessary in the future.

As for just what this process will cost the schools, Mackey indicated it would bring a price tag of $2,000 to $3,000 per year.

"We are using Federal Safe and Drug Free Schools money to fund this project," explained Mackey, who realizes that education funding is in such turmoil now that adding new expenses would not be feasible.  "We did use that money for counseling students with problems, but new regulations say we can no longer use the funds for this.  They want us to find a way to effect the most students with the least amount of money.  We believe this is the best way to do that."

On the matter of financial issues, school board officials approved the payment of $624,413.25 in salaries for August.  This brought the operating balance down to $981,000 ( enough for about six weeks of operations ).

With the failure of Amendment One, Jacksonville schools are preparing for cuts to this year's budget and stand perplexed about what could possibly take place next year.  While they do not have complete details, what they do know so far is startling.

Both transportation and teaching force will remain the same for the remainder of the year.  What happens next year is anyone's guess.  In other areas, the system's At Risk program funding will be reduced some 16 percent, funding for technology ( $19,000 ), library enhancement ( $14,000 ), professional development ( $6,000 ) and textbooks ( $100,000 ) is being completely eliminated.

The system was preparing for a commitment of $110,000 for instructional supplies.  However, with the amendment's failure, that money was initially dropped to zero.  The governor has since come back and said he would fund around $31,000 ( about $300 per teacher ) which is far less than the $55,000 they received last year.

"I don't think people realize just how much of a hardship this is," explained Mackey.  "Parents think that since they sent paper and crayons with their kids to school, that the teachers should not need any money.  Well, this money is used for things like copy paper, bulletin board paper, community orders of protractors and other items used in class, VCRs, televisions, overhead projectors and other items that enhance the teachers' ability to better reach and teach the students."

In other action, school officials recognized the "outstanding efforts" of students Forrest Pearson, John Mark Sawyer and Christopher Strott, who held a bake sale over the summer to raise money for the school system.  The funds they raised will go toward PTO projects at Kitty Stone Elementary, like repairing the playground and supporting the general school program.

Mackey announced that the system's five-year outlook plan includes completion of the KSE expansion, upgrading the technology infrastructure, landscaping and fencing at KSE, finishing the stadium at the high school, and building a new junior high school.  Additionally, a new fine arts wing is planned for JHS once space is made available through the construction of a new school.

While funding is at a standstill now," explained Mackey, "these goals are not out of our reach if we continue to show ourselves as the key to Jacksonville's future growth."

A more detailed look at the plan can be obtained by visiting www.alsde.edu .

During the meeting, board members approved standing committees for: policy review - Dan Borders ( chair ), Lisa Mallett, Linda Nowlin, Gene Rhodes, Diane Rogers and Ricky Whaley; sick leave bank - Judy Bell ( chair ), Dan Borders, Lisa Mallett, John Lyons and Ricky Whaley; and textbook committee for mathematics - Ericka Clark ( chair ), Patsy Boozer, Connie Whorton, Beverly LaShall, Amy Powell, Diane Rogers, John Van Cleave, Michael Graben, Bridgett Holmes, Karla Jones and Suzanne Jackson.

In other matters, board members:

*- accepted the resignation of Tina Alldredge;

*- approved the employment of Amanda Harris as an instructional assistant;

*- approved the employment of Christine Reynolds as an instructional assistant;

*- approved professional leave and a field trip for Diane Rogers to take Mu Alpha Theta to Ocoee, Tenn., for a rafting trip;

*- approved professional leave and a field trip for Amy McCreless, Susan Patterson, Allyson Bell, Lisa Robinson and Bradley Hood to take sixth grade students to see The Nutcracker at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta;

*- approved out-of-state travel for Jennifer Aguilar to attend sensori-motor conference in Atlanta; and

*- approved Dr.  Steve Nowlin to handle the superintendent's PEPE evaluation, which is slated to take about two-four months.