Pubdate: Tue, 22 Mar 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
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States)

BOARD DELAYS DRUG TESTING VOTE

The Alamance-Burlington Board of Education has delayed a vote on requiring 
drug tests for high school students who participate in extracurricular 
activities.

Board members agreed to the delay Monday night after hearing several 
comments from people who either opposed the policy or questioned whether it 
needed more work.

"I don't think it would hurt us one bit to continue listening to people," 
said board member Mary Alice Hinshaw, who proposed delaying a vote until at 
least the board's April 25 meeting.

Hinshaw said she'd like to see "a broad-based consensus in our community 
either to do this or not to do it."

The policy would require high school students who take part in sports, 
music or clubs to submit to random drug testing.

Students would be suspended for three months for the first offense. The 
second offense would mean suspension for a year, and the third offense 
would ban the student for the rest of high school.

Eight people spoke about the drug policy during the public comment portion 
of the meeting. While not all the speakers were completely opposed to the 
policy, no one spoke enthusiastically in favor of it. Some people who spoke 
said students who are involved in activities are less likely to be using 
drugs than those who are not.

"I don't know if we're targeting the right group," said Valerie Graves, the 
mother of students at Western Alamance High School.

Graves also said that "taking a drug test can be a humiliating experience" 
and expressed concerns that students be treated with dignity. Rachel 
Harper, a Williams High School student, was the only student to speak 
during the meeting. She said banning students from activities if they 
tested positive for drugs could create more problems for teenagers who are 
struggling.

"You can't kick us out of something that's giving us a positive influence," 
she said. Some speakers expressed concerns about the suspicionbased testing 
mentioned in the policy. Ann Majestic, the school board's attorney, said 
the system already does suspicion-based testing.

Wayne Beam, the system's director of school administration, said that 
testing is done with consent from parents.

Despite negative comments during the board meeting, some school board 
members said the great majority of comments they have heard are in support 
of the policy.

"We have had a lot of support" for the policy, said board member Jackie 
Cole, who said people feel "it's overdue."

Tom Manning, the board's chairman, said comments he has heard run 4 to 1 or 
even 5 to 1 in favor of the policy.

"If anything, the comments are we aren't going far enough," he said. 
Superintendent Jim Merrill said the staff will continue looking into 
suggestions that teachers and other system employees be subject either to 
pre-employment testing or random on-the-job testing. Any proposals that 
result from that research would be separate from the policy that is 
currently proposed.

About 400 employees in the system are already subject to drug testing 
because they drive vehicles or operate equipment. Merrill said that 
includes "me and most of my administration."

Merrill said the system could also look further at testing for steroid use 
among athletes, or reinstating alcohol to the drug testing policy for 
students in all extracurricular activities.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom