Pubdate: Tue, 20 Nov 2001
Source: Herald-Palladium, The (MI)
Copyright: 2001 The Herald-Palladium
Contact:  http://www.heraldpalladium.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1378
Author: Cliff Stevens
Note: H-P City Editor Jim Dalgleish contributed to this report
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)

SCHOOLS TO DRUG-TEST ATHLETES

COLOMA -- Coloma High School athletes are used to facing Panthers, Bobcats 
and Mustangs.

But now they have another challenge: random drug testing.

The School Board at a special meeting Monday night unanimously approved the 
student-athlete drug testing policy as proposed by Athletic Director 
Richard Becht. It covers members of all competitive sports teams in all 
grades, including cheerleaders.

Becht said the district is the first in Berrien, Van Buren or Cass counties 
to adopt such a policy.

Superintendent David DeFields said Coloma's policy has been reviewed by its 
lawyer and is modeled after a program in the Grand Blanc schools, near Flint.

The policy, which goes into effect immediately, will give team members who 
test positive for drugs two options for the first offense: enter a six-week 
counseling program with weekly drug testing, or be ineligible for 25 
percent of the sports season.

"Under the program, we (the school) will randomly select anywhere from 5 
percent to 20 percent of the athletes by computer to undergo a drug test at 
the end of the school day," Becht said.

Urine samples will be taken by employees of Community Hospital, Watervliet 
and tested for six different types of drugs.

If the results come back positive, "I will contact the athletes' parents 
and athlete to offer them the two available options," Becht said.

"Right now we don't know if any athlete is using drugs and won't know until 
they're caught by a law enforcement agency," he said. "If they have a 
problem with drug usage, it's best we find out now and help them with their 
problem rather than let it grow out of control in later years."

Becht said the program's purpose is to help, not punish.

"We think this is a very positive step, a deterrent, another reason to say 
"no' to their peers," he said this morning. "We don't ignore anything else 
with our athletes -- their attitudes or behavior -- why would we ignore 
drug use?"

Becht said he had been discussing the policy since spring, so all of the 
parents and athletes know about it.

The School Board had discussed the policy in meetings this month and in 
September. No one has spoken against the policy in board meetings.

Becht said at various "meet-the-team" nights, to be conducted prior to the 
start of winter sports, parents and athletes will be asked to sign an 
agreement outlining the options available.

"If they decline to sign the agreement, the athlete will not be allowed to 
participate in any sporting program," Becht said. "We don't have any more 
of a problem with drugs than any school district, but we're going to do 
everything we can to help an athlete who needs it."

Michigan courts have ruled that athletes can be singled out for random drug 
testing, Becht said. Since school attendance is a right, testing is 
forbidden for the general student body.

However, it's unclear whether it's legal to test participants in non- 
sports, extracurricular activities, he said.

Becht said he believes other area schools could follow Coloma's lead. Many 
districts have been dissuaded by drug testing costs. Becht said Community 
Hospital's tests cost $28 each, but other labs wanted to charge as much as 
$70 per test.

In another matter, the board met in closed session to discuss pay talks 
with the district's 130 teachers.

DeFields said the school system is in its third year of a three-year 
contract with teachers, with only salaries open to negotiations.
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MAP posted-by: Beth