Pubdate: Sun, 10 Nov 2002 Source: Monroe News-Star (LA) Copyright: 2002 The News-Star, Gannett Contact: http://www.thenewsstar.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1644 LOCAL SCHOOLS WILL LET YOU KNOW IF YOUR KIDS CAN'T JUST SAY NO TO DRUGS Last year, Ouachita Parish tested more than 40,000 students. Monroe City tested more than 4,000. At least one private school tests its teachers, too. Officials are serious about curbing a problem. Posted on November 10, 2002 When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled earlier this year high school students who are not athletes could be subjected to drug testing, it opened a new door across the country. The 5-4 ruling said schools' interests in ridding their campuses of drugs outweighed students' right to privacy. It meant tests could be administered to members of bands, drill teams or chess teams. Locally, the decision reaffirmed the practices of many schools and opened the possibility of expanded testing for others. The Ouachita Parish School System is in its fourth year of a comprehensive testing program. Ouachita tests all students in grades 7-12 who participate in designated extracurricular groups - band, choir, cheerleaders, dance-drill team, spirit groups and athletics. "To the best of my knowledge, the Ouachita Parish Schools drug testing plan is unique, certainly to Louisiana,' said Bill Colvin, supervisor of Ouachita's Safe Drug Free School Program. Monroe City Schools uses random testing of student-athletes only. St. Frederick High School and Ouachita Christian School in Monroe use random testing of all students. The OCS program also includes teachers. Drug testing varies by school systems because of the lack of specific requirements for programs. The only mandate in Louisiana comes from the Louisiana High School Athletic Association. Assistant Commissioner B.J. Guzzardo said the LHSAA began in 1999 requiring schools to have a drug-testing program, but the program format was left up to each school or its system. Drugs commonly screened for are opiates, cocaine, amphetamines, marijuana, phencyclidines and benzodiazepines. Julian Gray, assistant superintendent for Monroe City Schools, said his system's program developed out of the LHSAA requirement. "What we do here is mostly at the beginning of the year,' Gray said. "We ask for a list of student-athletes then we randomly check." The Monroe City Schools program tests approximately 15 students per month per high school, or about 405 students per school year. Neville football athletics director and football coach Mickey McCarty said drug testing used in Monroe schools is accepted as a positive program. "About once every week or two weeks, they bring over a list and do random testing,' McCarty said. "I personally think it's a good system in place, and the school puts an emphasis on it.' Even with the legal clearance from the Supreme Court, Gray said Monroe City Schools has not felt the need to expand drug testing to more students. "Probably the reason we haven't is because we haven't had an incident with a cheerleader or dance girl or some other student,' he said. Testing in the Ouachita system reaches a lot of students. Colvin said 4,400 students were tested last year at an approximate cost of $40,000. The first year, Ouachita tested athletes only. "The second year, we began to test designated extracurricular activities because these students voluntarily choose to represent the schools,' Colvin said. Colvin said the testing program was well received after a little uncertainty early on. "Some of the parents had fear of the unknown,' he said. "They wanted to be sure everything was done in a comfortable manner and with no invasion of privacy.' Colvin said the drug-testing program also reaps strong results. He said last year only 4/10th of 1 percent of the tests came back positive. Ouachita tests every student who participates in designated activities but also has a random option. Students whose parents give permission may be tested randomly during the year. West Monroe High School band director Myron Turner said the system's use of drug testing beyond student-athletes has gone smoothly. "It was a little different, but we didn't really experience any resistance,' Turner said. "It's a bit of an inconvenience, but it's very important.' OCS follows what athletics director Micah Harper terms a non-discriminatory testing policy because it includes all students and faculty. "We draw a number, and if the number matches your name, then you are tested,' Harper said. Harper said the number of people varies. It could be five a month or more. He also said if someone within a group is suspected of drug use, the entire group might be tested. In support of the Supreme Court's decision in favor of drug testing students in extracurricular activities besides athletics, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote, "We find that testing students who participate in extracurricular activities is a reasonably effective means of addressing the school district's immediate concerns in preventing, deterring and detecting drug use.' Dope fiends Following are procedures for dealing with a student or student-athlete in the Monroe City or Ouachita Parish school systems who tests positive for drugs. Monroe City - - Student-athlete referred for chemical assessment and attends mandatory drug education course (student or parent assumes all costs). - - Parents notified of drug violation through parent conference. - - First positive test does not result in ineligibility, but student will be tested at dated intervals during the school year. - - A second positive test for a student-athlete results in ineligibility for that school year. Ouachita Parish - - Student testing positive is suspended from extracurricular activity until a positive test is obtained. - - With a first offense, parents are notified in writing and must have a conference with the principal, the student must have a minimum of eight hours of drug counseling at the parents' expense, and the student will be retested during the school year. - - With a second offense, the student is suspended from the extracurricular activity for the remainder of the season, the student is suspended for three days, requires eight additional hours of drug counseling at parent's expense and a retest is required. - - With a third offense, the student is expelled from school for the remainder of the year. The student must present proof of a negative test by a Ouachita Parish School Board-approved agency before readmission. - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart