Pubdate: Mon, 08 Aug 2005
Source: Athens News, The (OH)
Copyright: 2005, Athens News
Contact:  http://www.athensnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1603
Author: Nick Claussen, Associate Editor
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States)

SCHOOL OFFICIALS EXPLAIN DRUG-TESTING POLICY; PARENTS PASS PETITIONS AGAINST
IT

Alexander High School officials explained the school's new
drug-testing policy to affected parents last Thursday evening, while
outside the school some parents passed around a petition opposing the
drug testing.

The meeting was intended for parents and students involved with
athletics, and was a regular session that the school district holds
before the beginning of every school year. The school also holds
meetings with parents and students before the winter sports season.

Larry Herges, athletic director for Alexander High School, led the
meeting and explained the philosophies and rules behind the school's
athletic program. Drug testing was part of the discussion, but Herges
stressed that he was only there to discuss the policy the school board
put into place, not to discuss whether people agreed or disagreed with
the policy.

The drug-testing policy, which has stirred ample opposition among
students and parents, calls for all students who are in athletics or
who obtain permits to park at the school to be tested for drugs and
alcohol. All of these students will be tested at the beginning of the
school year, and then they will be randomly tested throughout the year.

School officials gave parents a number of handouts dealing with the
drug testing to explain why the district is testing and how it will be
done.

One of the first questions during the meeting involved why the
district is not testing for steroids.

Herges said that on one of the handouts it explains that the U.S.
Supreme Court has ruled in favor of testing for drugs that "impair
functioning," and no tests have shown that steroids affect someone who
is driving. Herges did say later in the meeting that the school's
athletic handbook warns students about the dangers of
performance-enhancing steroids and that the school will post warnings
about the drugs.

Herges also warned the students about drinking alcohol, and said
school officials will investigate if they hear about students drinking.

Many of the parents in the meeting raised concerns about what will
happen to students testing positive for drugs and how the testing will
be handled.

"The first person that is called is the parent," Herges said about the
procedure for when a student tests positive. Parents can then tell the
testing company representatives if their children are on medications
that might make a test appear positive, Herges said. If that's the
case, then school officials will never find out that the student
tested positive, he said.

After parents learn of the testing and if no special circumstance
caused the positive test, then school officials will be notified,
Herges explained. He assured that the information always will be kept
confidential.

"You have my word on that," he said. If he would break that
confidentiality, then he would expect to be fired, Herges added.

In most cases, he predicted, he will never know whether a student
tests positive or not.

Students will be alone in a private restroom when they are tested, and
the testing will follow strict guidelines, according to Herges.
Parents and students have to sign forms consenting to the drug testing
in order to play sports, cheerlead or receive driving permits, Herges
said. Testing will begin this weekend, and students will be informed
of when they will be tested, he added.

AFTER THE MEETING, Nancy Schell and a group of other parents were
passing out petitions opposing the drug testing and talking to other
parents. One main concern Schell has about the policy is that the
school board created it with little student or community input, she
said.

Many parents oppose the drug testing for different reasons, she said.
A handout being distributed by Schell and others questioned what would
happen to students if they have a false positive test, if the testing
threatens students' privacy rights, and if the testing really does any
good or not.

"Drug testing is a waste of money and won't stop student drug use,"
the handout states.

Schell said the school district should spend more money on
drug-prevention or educational and athletic programs instead of drug
testing.

Herges said during the meeting that the school will be active with
drug prevention programs and will include students in the planning for
these programs. He also said that the drug testing is just part of the
school district's overall drug-prevention program.

Schell said that many parents feel the same way that she does about
drug testing, and that she and others plan to present their petitions
to the Alexander School Board to let its members know that many people
oppose the testing.

Parents Lynn Hudnell and Tina Adkins said after the meeting that they
support the drug testing. Adkins said that parents should know if
their children are doing drugs, and she's glad the district is testing.

Kevin Rickard said that the only problem he has with the testing is
that it should go further. He would like to see the testing cover more
areas, and he would like to see more students, as well as the teachers
and school officials tested for drugs.

Student Lucas Cunningham said he also supports the drug
testing.

"I think we need it," he said. Currently, he noted, rumors often
circulate about students on drugs, and the drug testing will help
dispel those rumors.

At a previous school board meeting where testing was discussed,
several students stood up and protested the policy.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin