Pubdate: Sun, 25 Nov 2007
Source: Georgetown News-Graphic (KY)
Copyright: 2007 Georgetown Newspapers, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.georgetownnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4591
Author: Jeff Kerr
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Test)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

SCHOOLS TO START RANDOM DRUG TESTING

It's coming. And soon.

By the time the 2008-2009 school year begins, Scott  County schools
plan to have a random drug testing  policy in place.

"Within the next several weeks, I will recommend to the  board that we
approve a drug testing initiative for our  secondary schools,"
Superintendent Dr. Dallas  Blankenship said. "In the meantime we are
doing studies  on timetables, the cost and the best way to implement
this program."

The schools and Scott County Against Drugs have been  having a
dialogue for almost two years on such a  program and it is close to
reaching fruition.

SCAD and representatives from the schools recently met  and cleared
the air about the issue.

"We hosted a meeting with the schools and that was a  really good
meeting," Bob Leonard, co-chairman of SCAD,  said. "We explained about
drug testing, what it was and  what it wasn't. There are a lot of
misconceptions out  there."

SCAD has taken the ball on the issue and is running  with it, but
Leonard says they can only go so far.

"We're interested, and we've been working with them for  one and a
half years, but it's the school system's  program," he said.

The plan is to have a community forum in February to  let citizens
have their say, Leonard said.

"We would encourage people to come," he said. "The idea  is to
identify the kids with problems and try to get  them back drug-free.
If they get caught earlier they  can get in some kind of assistance
program. But we just  need a way to identify these kids and help them
before  they destroy their lives."

The school system has picked up the ball and is looking  closely at
the logistics of such a program, said Chip  Southworth, director of
secondary education.

"Now is the time to look at the cost and look at how  effective it can
be," Southworth said. "We have to look  at how much it is per test,
what percentage of students  we test and how many times we test them."

Southworth pointed out the process does not end with  the test
results.

"You need to get help for these students who test  positive, and you
have to understand there are costs  for this," he said.

The main thing, Southworth said, is if a student tests  positive, the
legal system will not be involved.

"It won't be punitive," he said.

"We've looked at a lot of models," he said. "We're  really looking
closely at the one in Nelson County and  we've looked at Tates Creek,
plus a lot of the Fayette  public schools have models. But what we
want to do is  help a student if he gets caught."

But testing positive for drugs is a different story  than getting
caught with drugs at school, Southworth  said.

"If a kid has it on his person or if he is trafficking  in school,
then the law would get involved," he said.

While the Scott model is still a work in progress, it  would probably
involve those students in_volved in  competitive extracurricular
activities like athletics  and band as well as students who have
permits to drive  to school.

The goal of the program, Southworth said, is to have a  public forum
in early February where parents and  citizens could offer their input.

"We want the community to understand what we're trying  to do," he
said. "We're hoping to have a cost analysis  chart to the board by
March and a number of different  policies for them to consider in
March and April. Then  they can make their decision. But we'd like to
have it  in place by the beginning of the next school year."
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MAP posted-by: Derek