Pubdate: Sun, 06 Nov 2005
Source: Burlington Times-News (NC)
Copyright: 2005 The Times-News Publishing Company
Contact: http://www.thetimesnews.com/letter_to_editor/splash.php
Website: http://www.thetimesnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1822
Author:  Mike Wilder, Times-News
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Test)

SCHOOL DRUG TESTS BEGIN

The first drug testing under the local school system's new policy was
done last week at Southern Alamance High School.

The testing was done at Southern on Tuesday morning. The high school
was picked at random as the location for testing, said Brad Evans, one
of the school system's assistant superintendents.

The testing is being done under a policy approved in April by the
Alamance-Burlington Board of Education.

The policy calls for random, mandatory drug testing for high school
students who participate in extracurricular activities, such as
sports, performing groups, student government and clubs.

Students and their parents must sign a consent form before students
are allowed to participate in an activity.

Between 60 and 70 percent of high school students participate in some
kind of activity that requires them to agree to random testing, said
Libby Cheek, a spokeswoman for the school system.

Ann Majestic, the school board's attorney, said the system can't
legally require students who don't take part in activities to submit
to drug testing.

But the policy also allows students who do not participate in the
activities to volunteer to be tested.

The school system didn't have figures this week on how many students
not required to agree to testing had signed up anyway. School system
administrators did not disclose how many students were tested at
Southern on Tuesday.

Wayne Beam, the system's director of school administration, said the
policy is meant as a deterrent based on the possibility students at
any given high school can be tested at any time.

Administrators and school board members say the policy is meant mainly
to prevent drug use, rather than as a punishment.

"I had one kid tell me, 'Y'all have given us a cool way to say 'no,'"
Beam said. Students and parents are notified of test results only if a
student tests positive. Students and parents will have an opportunity
to explain the positive result.

A student with a confirmed positive test result for the first time
will be suspended from activities for three months and will be subject
to unannounced drug testing for one year.

A second positive result brings a one-year suspension and unannounced
testing for the rest of high school. A third positive result will mean
suspension for the rest of high school.

Students who test positive will receive counseling. A negative
drug-test result is required to resume activities after a three-month
or oneyear suspension.

Test results are kept confidential, and suspension from activities is
the only penalty for a negative drug test result. Alamance Regional
Medical Center is doing the testing for the school system. The tests,
done using urine samples, are conducted at the school students attend.

The school system allocated $25,000 to be spent on the drug-testing
program during the 2005-06 year.

In addition to money spent on testing, the $25,000 includes money
spent on materials to inform students and parents about the program.
The system distributed a brochure explaining the how the policy will
be implemented.

In recommending the policy, Superintendent Jim Merrill said an
undercover drug operation at the system's high schools that ended with
the arrests of dozens of students in February 2004 showed drug use is
a serious problem.

He also mentioned concerns about drugs from teachers and parents in
surveys conducted by the system.

Before voting to approve the policy, most school board members said
they had received mainly positive comments about requiring drug
testing. Some people came to school board meetings to speak against
the proposal, however, and the local NAACP chapter opposed it.
Discussion of the policy led to talk about other potential drug
testing in the school system.

Merrill has said the system will likely look into the possibility of
steroid testing among student athletes, as well as the possibility of
pre-employment drug testing for all employees.
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake