Pubdate: Mon, 06 Aug 2001 Source: Ft. Worth Star-Telegram (TX) Copyright: 2001 Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, Texas Contact: http://www.star-telegram.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/162 Author: Robert Cadwallader, Special to the Star-Telegram Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing) KENNEDALE TRUSTEES TO LOOK AT STUDENT DRUG TESTING KENNEDALE - The school board Monday is scheduled to look at creating a mandatory drug-testing policy for athletes or for all students, citing worries about a growing drug problem in the Fort Worth-Dallas area. Athletic Director Richard Barrett began investigating the issue at the board's request a month ago and will present his findings at a special meeting at 6 p.m. in the administration building, 120 W. Mansfield Highway. Barrett, who was hired in April, oversaw a random drug-testing program for athletes when he worked for the Godley school district. Trustee Roy Boenig first suggested the measure in June. "Just from talking to different parents, there is a lot of concern out there," Boenig said, adding that he believes the problem in Kennedale is no worse than in any other school district. Mandatory drug testing, however, is fraught with legal questions. In December a U.S. district judge struck down the Tulia school district's random drug-testing program for students in extracurricular activities. That case is being appealed to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. The current benchmark is a 1995 Supreme Court case that established, according to lower court interpretations, that schools must be able to prove a serious drug problem among their students to justify a mandatory testing program. Kennedale could find it difficult to navigate that court standard if the drug problem in the district is typical. The potential for litigation is "definitely a concern," Trustee Scott King said. "We want to do everything by the book. We're just trying to improve things." King said he sees the benefit of a drug-testing program as a weapon students can use against peer pressure. "It would give them a way out," he said. Kennedale would not be alone. State officials estimate that 150 districts have mandatory drug-testing programs, including the Azle, Aledo, Joshua and Burleson school districts. Trustees said it may be difficult to reach a decision Monday because there are many details to work out, such as whether to test only athletes or also test students in extracurricular activities. Trustees would have to decide whether to test only high school students or also junior high students. Also at the meeting, the board is scheduled to conduct its first work session on the 2001-02 school budget. The district started its $15.34 million budget last year with a projected $950,000 deficit caused mostly by an overprojection of attendance-based state funding. Among Superintendent Gary Dugger's budget-tightening measures was the firing of seven administrators. Trustee Joe Alviar said he's hoping for good news on the budget. "Gary's been working hard to try to get us back in the black," he said. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake