Pubdate: Thu, 22 Aug 2002
Source: Log Cabin Democrat (AR)
Copyright: 2002 The Log Cabin Democrat
Contact:  http://thecabin.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/548
Author: Tammy Keith

GREENE NOT SHY ABOUT CASTING TIE-BREAKING VOTE

School Board to Reconsider Drug Testing For Extracurricular Students Tuesday

Conway school board member Gary Greene said Wednesday he is "70 percent 
sure" how he will vote on the drug-testing issue.

He isn't saying what way that is, however.

The board reached an impasse with a 3-3 vote Tuesday night on the proposed 
drug-testing policy after hearing from patrons supporting and opposing it.

Greene was absent from the meeting because he was in Washington on business 
with Winrock International. The board will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the 
administration building to vote on the issue again.

"I was quite surprised at the coincidence that it was locked up three to 
three," Greene said in a telephone interview from Washington.

"I don't like being in this position, but that's what I'm elected to do.

"I've been under the gun before," he added.

Following the vote, several people at the board meeting referred to Greene 
as "that poor man" who was going to be getting lots of telephone calls to 
sway his vote.

Greene laughed when he heard that description, and said he would not take 
his telephone off the hook.

"I've been thinking about it and researching it," Greene said. "The board 
has dwelled on this a long time. This has not been a decision taken 
lightly. There are pros and cons on both sides."

Although Greene and the other board members unanimously approved a drug 
policy in March 2001, he said "we've gotten a lot more input" since placing 
that policy on hold.

"I'll be willing to break the tie."

Parent Larry Edwards, who supports random drug testing, questioned why the 
board didn't just wait until Greene was in town to take the vote.

Dr. Terry Fiddler, president of the board, was surprised at the tie vote. 
"I promise you, if I'd known it was 3 and 3, we wouldn't have had the vote. 
I really thought it wouldn't even be close."

Fiddler voted against the policy for "several reasons." He said, "I'm not 
convinced the evidence is there that drug testing works. I don't think 
we're testing the right group." He said students in extracurricular 
activities would be tested, while an uninvolved student "is sitting over 
there with a smug grin" that he is doing drugs and not being tested.

Fiddler said the board is "looking hard" at a K-12 prevention and 
intervention program to introduce as soon as possible. He said it will be 
something "a lot more hands-on than DARE," which has been criticized for 
not working.

Steve Fulmer, who was the superintendent when the policy was first adopted 
in 2001, said he was "a little bit surprised" by the vote. The first policy 
was adopted, but "it was called to our attention by a patron that there was 
a case pending in the Supreme Court." This summer the Supreme Court ruled 
that students in extracurricular activities could be drug tested.

"I know these board members personally and they will vote their 
convictions, and I respect every one of them for voting their convictions. 
You have to give them credit for doing their homework and researching 
this," Fulmer said.

He said a survey was done on Conway students' drug use by a company in 
Colorado. "We felt like we had a drug problem, but we felt like we needed 
some empirical evidence." He said the survey confirmed there is a problem 
in the Conway School District. "It crossed socio-economic lines and crossed 
extracurricular activities," he said.

Fulmer still believes a drug policy is a good idea, but, "I think it's time 
to move forward."
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MAP posted-by: Alex