Pubdate: Tue, 14 Oct 2003 Source: Daily Southerner, The (NC) Copyright: 2003 The Daily Southerner. Contact: 504 West Wilson Street, P.O. Box 1199, Tarboro, NC 27886 Website: http://www.dailysoutherner.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1916 Author: Charles Kinnin Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing) DISTRICT APPROVES DRUG TESTING PRINCEVILLE -- Edgecombe County Public Schools now has a drug testing policy for its student athletes. The Board of Education unanimously approved the measure during its regular meeting Monday. The new policy will take effect Jan. 1. The policy, which applies to middle and high school athletes and cheerleaders, had undergone revisions due to input received during board advisory sessions Sept. 22 and 23. Among the changes were the punishments for positive test results, which now eliminate a violator's participation in overlapping sports. Previous versions of the policy had first-time violators suspended from athletic competition for the remainder of the current sports season (fall, winter or spring). They now will not be allowed to participate in all interscholastic athletics for the remainder of the current season. Second-time violators previously were suspended from athletic competition for 12 months. Along with the 12-month suspension from athletics, they now cannot participate in all interscholastic athletics for the remainder of the current season. Third-time violators previously were suspended from athletic competition for the remainder of the current season and barred from interscholastic athletics for the remainder of his or her time in middle school (for middle school athletes) or high school (for high school athletes) in Edgecombe County Public Schools. They now cannot participate in all interscholastic athletics for the remainder of the current season, and would receive a 24-month suspension from athletic competition. As in previous versions of the policy, at least 10 percent of student athletes will be selected for each random testing event. The new policy calls for random selection based on a numbered roster system. The county schools' Human Resource Services department will administer the selection process. Also Monday, the board received information on two grants that recently have been awarded to the county schools by the U.S. Department of Education. The Early Reading First Grant was awarded collectively to the public school systems of Edgecombe, Duplin, Washington, Bladen and Nash-Rocky Mount. Edgecombe will receive $846,063 of the $4.23 million award over three years. The funds will be used to better prepare pre-K students for kindergarten, said Steve Stone, superintendent of Edgecombe County Public Schools. The grant will support existing efforts to enhance the early language and pre-reading skills of pre-K students. The Edgecombe school system is in the process of determining how it will use the funds, said Debbie Pace, director of pre-school programs for the county schools. The Edgecombe Middle College, an alternative high school program created through a partnership with Edgecombe Community College, received a five-year, $675,000 grant, which will be used for personnel. The Middle College currently has 40 students and eight staff members, and Assistant Principal Marshall Matson expects to add 20 students in the spring. Stone said the goal is to increase enrollment to more than 100, which would make it eligible for school status under state law. The board unanimously approved individual school budgets for 2003-2004. The budgets, which tie in funds with School Improvement Plans, are in the following amounts: Bulluck Elementary School: $77,410 Carver Elementary School: $131,801 Center for Educational Achievement: $9,279 Coker-Wimberly Magnet School: $94,610. Martin Middle School: $99,720 North Edgecombe High School: $109,979 Pattillo A+ School: $176,767 Phillips Magnet School: $148,075 Princeville Montessori School: $77,325 Roberson Elementary School: $50,560 South Edgecombe Middle School: $138,431 SouthWest Edgecombe High School: $393,545 Stocks Elementary School: $167,832 Tarboro High School: $387,278 West Edgecombe Middle School: $187,364. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh