Pubdate: Wed, 30 May 2007 Source: Hendersonville Times-News (NC) Copyright: 2007 Hendersonville Newspaper Corporation Contact: http://www.hendersonvillenews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/793 Author: Scott Parrott Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Test) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) STUDENT DRUG TESTING EXPANDS BREVARD -- Students who park outside Transylvania County's two public high schools will be randomly drug tested next school year. The Transylvania County School Board expanded the school system's random drug testing policy, saying the move would give students another tool to avoid peer pressure. "I have students in my office who are having difficulty with illegal substances and they refer to peer pressure as being a cause for their choice," said Superintendent Sonna Lyda. "So we're hoping that we're going to be able to give them a tool so they can say no to drugs because they are in the pool of random drug testing." In the past three years, the school system tested students involved in competitive extracurricular activities ranging from the math team to the football team. It's the second time the School Board broadened the scope of the tests launched in 2004-05. Before this school year, educators added to the pool middle school students who are involved in competitive extracurricular activities. Now high school students who have parking permits will be subject to random drug testing throughout the school year. Law enforcement won't be called, but students who do drugs risk losing parking and extracurricular activity privileges. Random drug testing is uncommon among mountain school districts. T.C. Roberson High School in Asheville randomly tests students involved in extracurricular activities. Haywood County Schools, whose lead Transylvania followed, also tests students who seek parking permits. Critics say the tests can discourage students from participating in extracurricular activities. At least one critic expressed concern before the Transylvania County School Board, saying the policy treats students like criminals. In 2002, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of an Oklahoma school district that tested students involved in extracurricular activities. The court rejected an argument made by two students who said the policy violated the Fourth Amendment, which bars against unreasonable searches and seizures. Educators say the random drug tests are an effective deterrent. "I think it's working fairly well, because the first couple drug tests we had we were surprised by the number of kids that did not pass," said Bo Williams, chairman of the Transylvania County Schools policy committee. "Since then, the normal is zero kids." During the 2004-05 school year, 266 students were tested out of a possible pool of 2,004 at Rosman and Brevard high schools. Five tested positive for marijuana. Costs were $6,046, of which about $5,800 came from Safe and Drug-Free Schools funds. "It is becoming rare that we do have students with positive test results," said Teresa McCall, the School Board chairwoman. "I would like to think (the testing) gives students who are participating in extracurricular activities and now driving vehicles to school an avenue to say 'No, I'm not going to do that, because I want to do these things.'" - --- MAP posted-by: Steve Heath