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. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D