Pubdate: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 Source: Ft. Worth Star-Telegram (TX) Copyright: 2003 Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, Texas Contact: http://www.star-telegram.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/162 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing) POTENTIAL PROBLEMS The approaching discussion of possible drug and alcohol testing for students in Southlake's Carroll school district is one that parents cannot afford to simply watch from the sidelines. They should take part. The Drug and Alcohol Awareness Committee, a joint effort of the city and the school district, has scheduled a round-table discussion of the issue for 7 p.m. Wednesday at Southlake Town Hall. Two district trustees, Steve Lakin and Becky Miltenberger, say that they see a growing drug and alcohol problem and want to consider fighting it with a testing program for high school students. Parents must weigh the potential harm that drug and alcohol abuse can do to their children against the invasion of privacy and other risks that a testing program would entail. It is not an easy choice. The first question to be answered is whether a drug or alcohol problem exists among Carroll students. Frankly, the evidence cited so far is not enough. A March survey showed that, among Carroll's Class of 2004, 71 percent say they have tried alcohol, 39 percent say they have tried marijuana and 5 percent say they have tried cocaine. Although those results provide reason to worry, more evidence is needed to justify a testing program. Take the case of public schools in Tecumseh, Okla., where a urinalysis for drugs is required of middle and high school students involved in extracurricular activities. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the testing program last year. In Tecumseh, the court's ruling said, teachers testified that they saw students who appeared to be under the influence of drugs and heard students speaking openly about using drugs. A drug dog found marijuana near the school parking lot. Police found drugs or drug paraphernalia in a car driven by an extracurricular club member. Community residents perceived a "drug problem" and called on the school board to take action. Evidence like this at school shows a reason for concern and shores up the case for testing students who otherwise would not be subjected to a suspicionless general testing program, the Supreme Court said. Is this sort of evidence of drug abuse present in Carroll schools? If it is, it must be discussed openly, and a plan should be formulated to deal with it. Other questions must be answered: If the concern is with alcohol abuse, what suitable testing program will detect it? Presumably, procedures are in place to deal with a student who is obviously drunk at school or at a school function, but it is difficult to test for alcohol consumption after more than just a few hours. If clear evidence of drug abuse by Carroll students exists and if there is a desire to institute a testing program, how will the privacy of those students who are subjected to the tests be guarded? The Supreme Court has said that students in extracurricular activities give up some of their privacy rights, but there are still significant privacy issues regarding the availability of records of test results. None of this can be taken lightly by Carroll parents. Decisions made through this discussion will affect their children's safety and right to privacy and will affect their schools dramatically. Carroll residents should join the discussion. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin