Pubdate: Tue, 13 Sep 2005
Source: Palestine Herald Press (TX)
Copyright: 2005, The Palestine Herald Press.
Contact:  http://www.palestineherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2487
Author: Mary Rainwater

PISD APPROVES NEW DRUG-TESTING POLICY

After adding some last-minute modifications, Palestine Independent School
District trustees approved a new district policy regarding student drug
testing during their regular meeting Monday.

PISD Personnel Director and Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent
Suzanne Eiben presented the final policy - FNF (Local): Student Rights and
Responsibilities: Interrogations and Searches - to the board.

Under the policy, random drug testing will be required of any student in the
sixth through 12th grades who participates in any extracurricular activities
or who plans to park a vehicle on campus.

Random tests will be conducted as many as 20 times during a given school
year, with no less than five percent and no more than 50 percent of the
students participating being randomly selected throughout the year.

The "Consequences" portion of the policy took the brunt of the changes by
the board, with trustees adding punishment for a fourth offense and changing
testing frequency for offenders.

The policy calls for a 30-day suspension from extracurricular activities or
parking a car after testing positive the first time. On the second offense,
the student is suspended for 90 days and is suspended for a calendar year
after the third offense.

Trustees also amended the policy to state that, after testing positive, the
student would be tested at the end of his/her suspension and at every
subsequent testing date for the next calendar year.

After testing "clean" for that year, the student is placed back into the
random pool.

In a related action, the board approved a contract with T.H.E. Lab of Tyler
for student drug testing services.

In other business, the board:

- -  Approved an increase in substitute teacher pay rates to $45 a day for
non-degreed non-certified substitute teachers, $50 a day for degreed
(four-year) non-certified teachers and $60 a day for degreed and certified
teachers.

Current substitute teacher pay rates are $40 a day for non-degreed
non-certified substitute teachers, $45 a day for degreed (four-year) non
certified teachers and $50 a day for degreed certified teachers.

- -  heard a final report on summer projects from contractor Buford Thompson.
The contractor was pleased to report that the project was completed on time
and the school district would be receiving a refund of $170,000 from the
project.

- -  approved the Professional Development and Appraisal System (PDAS)
Calendar and list of approved appraisers.

- -  approved student transfer request for eight students. Two of the students
are tuition paying transfers and the remaining six are children of PISD
employees.

- -  Hired third-grade teacher Christy Manning. 
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MAP posted-by: Josh