Pubdate: Fri, 09 Aug 2002
Source: Idaho Statesman, The (ID)
Copyright: 2002 The Idaho Statesman
Contact:  http://www.idahostatesman.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/204
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)

SCHOOL OFFICIAL AIMS TO AVERT DRUG TESTS

Arrest of Twin Falls principal is isolated incident, boss says

TWIN FALLS - Twin Falls School Superintendent Terrell Donicht is trying to
head off demands for random drug testing of district employees following
last week's arrest of an elementary principal on drug charges.

Donicht called the actions of former Bickel Elementary School Principal Mary
Lee Roberts an isolated incident.

"We have a district full of very reasonable people," Donicht said. "There's
no reason for us to panic just because one person made a stupid decision."

Roberts, 48, who has a court appearance scheduled for today, resigned after
being accused of mailing a pound of marijuana from Texas to her Twin Falls
home.

Since then Donicht said he has reviewed the district's staff and is
confident that "99.9 percent" of the 700 employees are drug-free.

"There's no indication whatsoever that this goes beyond her personal use,"
he said, and that makes him leery of subjecting them to random drug testing.

What employees do on their own time is governed by the law, he said, and the
district's concern begins if that off-duty behavior affects job performance.

Any drug testing program, he maintained, should include teachers as well as
administrators. That could be a challenge since the Idaho Education
Association, which represents teachers, adamantly opposes drug tests.
Association President Kathy Phelan said teachers should not be subjected to
drug tests unless administrators have good reason to suspect drug use.

"You don't give up your civil rights when you walk through the school door,"
she said.

Phelan acknowledged, however, that local district affiliates are open to
negotiate any proposal they wish, and some Twin Falls teachers now support
testing.

For the past two school years, the Minidoka School District has been using
random drug tests on all administrators in conjunction with student athlete
drug testing. Superintendent Nick Hallett said the issue was aired in public
meetings before the policy was adopted.

To date, he said, no administrator has tested positive.