Pubdate: Fri, 25 Apr 2008
Source: Press-Register (Mobile, AL)
Copyright: 2008 Mobile Register
Contact:  http://www.al.com/mobileregister/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/269
Author: Casandra Andrews
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)

PUBLIC SCHOOLS MAY BEGIN RANDOM DRUG TESTING

Random Screenings Could Start In August

Mobile County Public School Superintendent Roy Nichols  said Thursday 
that he's moving forward with a plan to  randomly test certain 
students for drugs as early as  August.

"It looks like we probably will begin student drug  testing next 
(school) year," he told the Press Club of  Mobile during a lunch 
meeting Thursday, during which he  also discussed his first 90 days 
in office. "The main  reason is as a deterrent, to give the students 
a reason  with their peers not to experiment with drugs."

The topic came up on Tuesday, Nichols said, after a  meeting where 20 
students were expelled from Mobile  schools. "More than half were for 
drug-related  charges," he said.

Drugs also played a role in most of the other  expulsions, he was told.

By Thursday morning, Nichols had met with a committee  that included 
representatives from Baldwin County  schools and McGill-Toolen 
Catholic High School to talk  about the logistics of implementing a 
drug-testing  plan. Students at McGill and in Baldwin County schools 
are already tested for drugs.

Nichols asked the committee to make a recommendation  for a 
drug-testing program by May 15, adding that he  plans to bring the 
matter to a vote of the school board  later in May.

While Baldwin County public schools randomly test  certain students 
for drugs, not everyone is included  because of student privacy 
issues. The U.S. Supreme  Court has ruled that only public school 
students who  take part in extracurricular activities can be tested for drugs.

The Baldwin system established its testing program in  2006 at Gulf 
Shores High and Gulf Shores Middle  schools, after a survey revealed 
that seventh-through  12th-graders were using drugs at higher rates 
than  state and national averages. The Baldwin program now  includes 
schools for seventh-through 12th-graders.

Nichols said he would recommend adopting a similar plan  for Mobile 
County's public high schools. He said he  expects the testing to cost 
about $100,000 a year,  adding that a local foundation has said it 
could cover  the costs. The superintendent did not identify the organization.

Mobile United, a local community leadership group, has  pushed for 
drug testing in Mobile County public schools  for at least a decade, 
according to Executive Director  Sandi Forbus. Her group, however, is 
not the one  mentioned by Nichols, she said.

"We couldn't be more pleased," she said of the news  that drug 
testing may soon begin. "Aside from the  danger to all of our kids, 
drugs are affecting our job  market. It has wide-ranging 
implications. The only way  we have to stop drug use is through 
random drug  testing."

The results of a Press-Register/University of South  Alabama poll 
taken last year suggested that 90 percent  of Mobile County residents 
support drug testing in  public schools.

Besides McGill-Toolen, several other private schools in  south 
Alabama including Faith Academy, St. Paul's  Episcopal School, 
Cottage Hill Academy and Bayside  Academy have been drug testing 
students for several  years.

Mary G. Montgomery High School in Semmes took part in a  pilot 
program in 2004 by testing its baseball players  for drug use. That 
program was funded by the Mobile  County Sheriff's Office. The 
school's principal said  last year that no players ever tested 
positive and that  the testing ended when the money ran out.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom