Pubdate: Wed, 10 Nov 2004
Source: Hendersonville Times-News (NC)
Copyright: 2004 Hendersonville Newspaper Corporation
Contact:  http://www.hendersonvillenews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/793
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Test)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

DRUG TESTING GETS OFF TO A ROCKY START

We weren't among the ones in favor of the drug testing of students in 
Transylvania County schools.

Some students and parents complained that the policy of random testing of 
students in extracurricular activities unfairly targeted athletes. Others 
were concerned that the testing was an invasion of privacy.

The School Board voted in July to institute the policy, becoming only the 
third in the state to do so.

We're sure that parents and the School Board hoped that the results of the 
drug tests would show that drug use isn't a problem at Brevard and Rosman 
high schools. Wrong.

In September and October the school system tested 40 students who 
participate in sports or other after-school activities. Four tested positive.

"We anticipated having no one the first time," said Bo Williams, the school 
system's testing and policy director. "To have four was a real shock."

Why the shock?

School Board members themselves were responding to parents who testified 
that they thought drugs were a problem in the high schools.

Brevard High principal Dave Richardson told the School Board last week that 
in a recent school survey 72 percent of teachers and 50 percent of parents 
thought that substance abuse was a problem at Brevard High School.

The School Board was told that of the four who tested positive for a banned 
substance, two chose to quit the extracurricular activity. The other two 
underwent counseling, passed a second test and were allowed to return to 
sports or club activities.

The first round of tests cost $997.

"There isn't anyone in here who wouldn't spend $900 if we knew it would 
help a kid get off drugs," Williams said.

Of course not.

But it's still not clear whether the random drug testing is helping kids 
get off drugs or whether it's just making kids forgo basketball, track or 
math club.

If parents and school administrators are shocked that drug tests confirmed 
drug use in high schools, we expect students and teachers are not.

There is no substitute for students setting an example for their peers. Nor 
is there any substitute for parents, teachers, coaches, principals and 
guidance counselors who are closely engaged with students being vigilant 
about those who may be outcasts and subject to escape through drugs.

The better we are reaching them, the better we will be at ridding the 
schools of drugs.

The result so far from testing is that two students caught using drugs quit 
the team or an after-school club and two got back on the straight and 
narrow. By our math, that's only a 50 percent success ratio.
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D