Pubdate: Wed, 12 Aug 2009 Source: Reno Gazette-Journal (NV) Copyright: 2009 Reno Gazette-Journal Contact: http://www.rgj.com/letters Website: http://www.rgj.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/363 Author: Victor Calderon GALENA HIGH FOOTBALL PARENTS VOTE AGAINST DRUG TESTING The 90 football players at Galena High School will not take random drug tests this year after less than two-thirds of parents voted for the program, a school administrator said Tuesday. Parents at a Thursday barbecue at the south Reno school were given a form to indicate their choice. School officials this week collected the forms and contacted parents who were not at the barbecue, said Shaun Finnigan, Galena assistant principal for athletics. Parents of students on the school's girls volleyball and boys and girls soccer, cross country and tennis will meet at 6 p.m. Monday at the school to discuss random drug testing. Each sport needs a two-thirds majority approval from parents for the drug testing to happen, he said. "My feeling is it's the parents choice," Finnigan said. "My job as an athletic administrator is not to make that choice for them." Random drug testing of student urine is optional on a school-by-school basis, said Ken Cass, coordinator of athletics for the Washoe County School District. Parents and administrators at McQueen and Reed high schools are the only other district schools to "show interest" in the program and have agreed to the tests, Cass said. The school board allowed expanding the program during the seasons of all sports after tests of McQueen football players last season were "very successful," district spokesman Steve Mulvenon said. Football practice opened last week and began Monday for other fall sports. Parents of athletes pay for the tests in annual payments of about $40. "Even if (the district) had the funds (to implement the program districtwide), the board would probably want parental consent," Cass said. Schools determine the frequency and targets of the tests, said Katherine Loudon, district coordinator for safe and drug-free schools. Testing is more expensive for performance-enhancing drugs than other substances, such as marijuana, she said. No McQueen student-athlete tested positive, and information from surveys and focus groups indicated the testing policy significantly reduced drug use among the players, Loudon said. If an athlete has a positive result, the school would contact parents and work with them to find drug counseling or other solutions. After the first positive result, the athlete can be suspended for up to six weeks of competition, less with counseling; a second offense means suspension for 90 days and mandatory counseling; and a third results is total suspension from athletics, according to Nevada Interscholastic Athletics Association guidelines.