Pubdate: Thu, 04 May 2006
Source: North County Times (Escondido, CA)
Copyright: 2006 North County Times
Contact:  http://www.nctimes.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1080
Author: Stacy Brandt, staff writer
Note: Letters from newspaper's circulation area receive publishing 
priority
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States)

VISTA UNIFIED'S DRUG-TESTING PROGRAM CALLED A SUCCESS

VISTA ---- Vista Unified School District officials are  lauding what
they describe as the success of a random  drug-testing program begun
three weeks ago for high  school students involved in extracurricular
activities.

No students have tested positive for any drugs so far,  and the
program is running smoothly, Gayle Olson,  director of student support
services, said Wednesday.

Some parents strongly opposed the testing after the  district's board
of trustees approved it in February,  school district officials said,
but there have been no  complaints since the program started.

"After quite a lot of uproar, we began testing, and it  has been
pretty smooth sailing," said Rancho Buena  Vista High Principal
Richard Alderson.

District administrators have said that most students  and parents
support the program. However, some parents  said they think it
violates teens' right to privacy.

Royce Ramswick, a parent who in February attempted to  organize
opposition to the testing, said he plans to  continue trying to fight
the program.

"I haven't forgotten about it," he said. "I kind of  just let it go
for now."

Some parents said they were concerned that students  would stay out of
extracurricular activities to avoid  being tested, but that hasn't
happened, said Pat  Moramarco, athletic director at Vista High School.
In  fact, enrollment in extracurricular activities has  increased
slightly this year at the school, he said.

Extracurricular activities generally take place before  or after
school, and co-curricular activities are held  during school hours.

The testing was initially expected to begin in early  March, but the
district decided to wait until mid-April  to clarify which student
groups would be included in  the testing pool. About 2,400 students
have been  included. That number could increase if parents of 
students not involved in extracurricular activities  choose to place
their teenagers in the program.

So far, the students tested have been very cooperative,  Alderson
said. Each week, between eight and 15 students  at each school are
expected to be tested for alcohol,  marijuana, opiates, cocaine,
methamphetamine, steroids  and PCP.

Students will not be punished until at least their  second positive
test result in one year, district  officials have said.

The testing is paid for by a $211,000 federal grant,  which the
district has secured for at least the next  two years.

The schools are preparing information packets about the  testing to
send home to parents of next year's incoming  freshmen.

Moramarco said he doesn't expect any significant  changes next
year.

"I don't see why we'd change it," he said. "It's gone  very smoothly."
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MAP posted-by: Lawrence Seguin