Pubdate: Mon, 03 Apr 2006
Source: Florida Today (Melbourne, FL)
Copyright: 2006 Florida Today
Contact:  http://www.flatoday.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/532
Author: James Dean, Florida Today
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Test)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)
Note: Does not accept out of town LTEs on drug policy

MCC TO RANDOMLY TEST KIDS FOR DRUGS

School Battles Perception Of Rampant Abuse

MELBOURNE - Any day now, Andrew McNeight could be among the first
Melbourne Central Catholic High students asked to provide a urine
sample, hair or an oral swab to prove he's not using drugs.

"I wouldn't mind at all," the senior said of the new testing
program.

MCC is believed to be the first school in Brevard County to implement
random testing for all its students. Tests also could be based on a
reasonable suspicion of drug use.

Administrators say they want to provide a safe school environment,
help students make good choices and shed a perception -- fair or not
- -- that drugs were too prevalent among its 540 students.

"We're not out to catch the kids, so to speak," Principal Sue Rauch
said. "We just want to give them that avenue of saying no."

Private schools have more flexibility than public schools, which may
only test students participating in sports and other voluntary activities.

Brevard Public Schools does not test students, but at least 11 Florida
districts -- Indian River County among them -- have some type of
testing system in place. At least one, Polk County, tests some
athletes for steroids.

Last week, a state bill that would require random steroid tests for
athletes passed its first committee. If adopted, tests would start
next year.

President Bush also is pushing to expand testing programs nationally,
at a cost of $15 million. About 600 out of 15,000 districts use drug
tests, according to the White House Office of National Drug Policy
Control.

On the decline

Since peaking in 1997, illicit drug use has dropped by about a quarter
for 10th-graders and 10 percent for 12th-graders, according to
national studies, from the University of Michigan's "Monitoring the
Future" study released in December.

Still, half of all students reported trying an illicit drug by the
time they left high school.

MCC families got word of the program in December in a letter from the
school that said a serious look at drugs on campus led to the
conclusion that "decisive" action was needed.

The student code of conduct already allowed for testing, and Dean of
Students Tod Creneti said testing would put teeth in the policy. He
said only a few parents have expressed any concerns.

"We thought it was a very positive move, and I believe most parents
would," said Rick McNeight, Andrew's father, who is on the school's
board.

Mixed reactions

Students said their reaction has been mixed, with some feeling the
school is reaching too far into their private lives.

"You sign a paper saying you have to be Christian inside and outside
of school," said senior Michelle Ganio. "But we didn't think to the
extent of taking hair samples and stuff."

But most have accepted the program and feel, as Ganio added, that
there's nothing to worry about if you don't do anything wrong.

If faced with the choice of trying drugs, said sophomore Georges
Milord, "it gives you another excuse to get out of it."

The tests are expected to begin soon, now that several teachers and
administrators have been trained to properly administer them.

Tests will be conducted monthly, probably affecting up to 100 students
each year. The tests can be set to screen for the "big five" -- pot,
cocaine, methamphetamines, PCP and opiates -- or prescription drugs
and steroids.

A first positive test earns counseling and a 10-day suspension, which
could be reduced to community service if students admit to violations
before the test. Second offenses would result in expulsion.

Under Brevard Public Schools' zero-tolerance policy, students caught
with illegal substances may be expelled or placed in alternative
learning centers. They may return to school in nine weeks by
successfully completing three counseling sessions and drug tests.

MCC also is considering tests for alcohol, which students say is much
more widely used than other drugs, at events like the prom.

According to the 2004 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey, almost
half of Brevard high school students reported drinking in the past 30
days, slightly above the state average but a decline from earlier surveys.

Research on the effectiveness of drug testing is mixed, and many
districts say it's too expensive to administer widely.

A 2003 study by the University of Michigan found that in more than 700
schools, rates of drug use were identical whether they tested or not.

Ganio said she has seen some habits change since the policy was
announced.

"It might make some students think twice," she said, "but it's not
going to change the whole social scene."
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MAP posted-by: Derek