Pubdate: Wed, 21 Mar 2001
Source: Indianapolis Star (IN)
Copyright: 2001 Indianapolis Newspapers Inc.
Contact:  P.O. Box 145, Indianapolis, IN 46206
Website: http://www.starnews.com/
Forum: http://forum.circlecity.com/circlecity/index.html
Author: Tim Evans

DISTRICTS TO RESUME DRUG TESTING

In wake of ruling by state's top court, some school officials opt to 
revive tests.

Some central Indiana students may be in for a surprise when they 
return from spring break.

Officials of Brownsburg and Mooresville schools will resume random 
drug testing in April, and officials of two other school corporations 
say they soon might follow suit.

The districts were among 69 public school systems that quit testing 
students who drive to school or participate in sports and other 
extracurricular activities after the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled 
in August that the tests were unconstitutional.

Only one district -- Rush County Schools -- continued random testing.

The about-faces in Brownsburg and Mooresville's come on the heels of 
an Indiana Supreme Court decision March 6 to hear an appeal of that 
ruling. That action vacates -- at least temporarily -- the Appeals 
Court ruling.

Other school corporations in the nine-county Indianapolis 
metropolitan area that had policies are taking a wait-and-see 
approach until the Supreme Court issues a ruling.

Brownsburg Superintendent Kathleen Corbin recommended that her board 
revive its drug testing program after conferring with school attorney 
Marge Bannon Miller of Bose McKinney & Evans.

"Anything we can do to help keep kids off drugs is important," said 
School Board member Kim Lucas.

"I hated to see it go," she said of random drug testing. "The drug 
testing rule gives kids another reason to say 'no' to peer pressure."

Brownsburg senior Cara McFarland, who participates in sports and 
other extracurricular activities, said Tuesday she welcomes the 
testing.

"A lot of kids who are athletes are hoping to get scholarships to go 
to college, and they don't want to do anything to jeopardize that," 
she explained. "And when I am competing, I don't want it to be 
against anybody who is using drugs like steroids. It's not fair to 
those of us who are honest and work hard."

Brownsburg freshman Jennifer Comer agrees.

"It definitely helps," she said. "People don't want to give up their 
privileges to be in sports or do fun things, and knowing you might be 
tested is incentive to not do it."

Mooresville Schools officials decided last week to reinstate testing.

"We instituted our program several years ago with the intent of 
giving kids another opportunity and reason to say 'no,' " Greg 
Silver, drug education coordinator for the district, said Tuesday.

Silver said the program worked well, but after the testing was 
halted, drug activity increased.

"I think that is an indication that what we were doing was working," 
Silver said, adding the program had support from the majority of 
parents and students.

Several other central Indiana school corporations -- including Center 
Grove and Clark-Pleasant -- also might reinstate random drug tests.

Walt Aldorisio, director of student services at Center Grove, said 
his district likely will resume its program -- which covers about 
70percent of students -- this spring.

Meanwhile, Whiteland High School Principal Beatrice Dunn said 
Clark-Pleasant is starting the process to revive its testing program.

"A kid can say, 'I value my opportunity to play baseball more than 
doing this.' Someone can say no without losing face with friends who 
might do it," Dunn said.

In Rush County, Superintendent Edwin A. Lyskowinski said his 
corporation instituted its policy in 1997. When it was challenged in 
federal court in 1998, the policy was upheld, and the U.S. Supreme 
Court refused to hear the case.

"We took that to mean it was not unconstitutional, and we've been 
testing ever since," said Lyskowinski. "There is no doubt it is a 
positive program, and we weren't willing to give it up . . . Our 
students tell us it does work."

Lyskowinski said he believes other schools backed away from testing 
because they did not want to invest the time and money in a legal 
battle.

Julie Slavens, staff attorney for the Indiana School Boards 
Association, said the biggest question at this point is whether 
schools want to reinstate a program with so little of the school year 
left. She said the association notified school officials that the 
Supreme Court decision opens the door to resume testing.

Until the court issues a final ruling, Slavens added, schools face 
the risk of having the policies challenged.

"As far as (being liable for) damages, schools are probably OK. It is 
just a question of whether they want to deal with the headaches, 
hassles and expense of defending themselves," she said.
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MAP posted-by: Kirk Bauer