Pubdate: Thu, 17 Jun 2010
Source: Toccoa Record, The (GA)
Copyright: 2010 The Toccoa Record
Contact: https://secure.townnews.com/thetoccoarecord.com/forms/letters.php
Website: http://www.thetoccoarecord.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5073
Author: Todd Truelove, The Toccoa Record

BOE PLANS DRUG TESTING

Students at Stephens County High School who wish to drive to school 
or participate in extracurricular activities likely will be subject 
to random drug screenings when classes reconvene for the 2010-2011 school year.

The board of education is in the process of adopting a new drug 
screening policy that would require students and parents to sign a 
consent form before they would be "allowed to participate in any 
interscholastic activity, extracurricular activity, or to apply for a 
parking permit at Stephens County High School," states the proposed policy.

The tests would occur at various times of the year determined by the 
principal, athletic director and laboratory conducting the drug tests.

The policy indicates that, "the random selection process will be 
coordinated by the drug testing coordinator," who would be appointed 
by the principal and that a numerical selection process would be used 
and that student names and identities would be unknown until the 
numerical selection process was completed.

Penalties for testing positive would begin with temporary suspension 
from the activity the student was participating in and driving privileges.

A second positive test would result in a year suspension from the 
activities, and a third positive test would result in a permanent suspension.

Testing positive would not result in any academic penalties, the policy stated.

Superintendent Sherrie Whiten said the policy should be ready for 
adoption within a month.

The drug screening program will be paid for through donations by 
local businesses and organizations who were told some $15,000 was 
needed to start.

Among those who have agreed to assist with the funding are Patterson 
Pump, Bowen and Watson, 1st Citizens Bank, Morgan Concrete and Toccoa 
First United Methodist Church.

Former city commissioner Ferrell Morgan spearheaded the fund drive 
which has raised some $12,000 to date.

The school system has a link to review the policy on its website at 
http://www.stephenscountyschools.com/boe.

In other school business:

The board, at its meeting Tuesday, also adopted the work calendar for 
the 2010-2011 school year.

The dates of Aug. 16-18 were removed from the work schedule as three 
furlough days were planned for all school staff and put in the school budget.

"We will be shut down all across the system for those days," said Whiten.

In other business at the board's meeting:

Linda Azain was hired as the system's nutrition director.

Sales tax receipts funding new high school construction were $291,885 
for the month of May - up $12,000 from the same time last year which 
was $278,397.  Tom Law contributed to this report. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake