Pubdate: Tue, 19 Nov 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

FIRST STUDENTS DRUG TESTED

Randomly Selected Subjects 'Cooperative,' Official Says

The first 40 students in the Conway School District were randomly tested 
for drugs Wednesday, and all the students were "cooperative," said Gerald 
Harrison, director of secondary education.

Twenty students each at Conway High School-West and Conway High School-East 
were tested. Marti Jones of Counseling Associates in Morrilton conducted 
the testing. "We got the list when she walked through the door," said 
Harrison, who oversees the drug-testing program.

The testing started at 8:30 a.m. at Conway High School-West, which includes 
students in 11th and 12th grades. Students were called out of class with a 
phone call to each classroom, not by intercom.

"They were all fine -- cooperative," Harrison said. When asked if the 
students were joking or serious about the testing, Harrison said: "They 
weren't joking. In the morning time like that, they're awake, but they 
haven't been stirred up too much."

He said the drug testing took about two hours at Conway High School-West, a 
little longer than expected. He said it should go faster in the future, now 
that everyone is familiar with the process.

Testing of ninth- and 10th-graders at Conway High School-East began after 
the lunch periods and took approximately one hour.

"We were able to get the list (of students) to East, and they had 
everything organized" when officials arrived there to do the testing, 
Harrison said.

Harrison said he and Jones, who conducted the testing, recently "went to 
every school and took time to do a dry run" to determine which bathrooms 
would be used, "who's going to be first, who's going to be last" and other 
details.

Testing also will be done at Carl Stuart and Bob Courtway middle schools.

Four parents in the district filed a lawsuit in October in Faulkner County 
Circuit Court to stop the drug testing, but Conway Superintendent James 
Simmons has said the drug testing will go ahead as planned until the 
district is told otherwise. The parents believe the policy violates the 
Arkansas Constitution, their children's "right to privacy against 
intrusion," and also contend the policy is vague.

Harrison said, "As far as we know, we have not heard anything (on the 
lawsuit)."

The district has responded to the lawsuit, maintaining that drug testing 
does not violate any laws and cannot be shown to cause irreparable harm to 
students.

Bruce Plopper of Conway, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, said, "I'm 
sorry that the school district didn't wait to see how the lawsuit actually 
comes out. If whatever court in Arkansas says it is a violation of Arkansas 
law, I'd hate for them to look back" and realize they broke the law.

In August, the board voted 4-3 for the random testing of students in 
extracurricular activities in grades 7 through 12. The issue had been put 
on hold for a year until the Supreme Court ruled it was legal. The pros and 
cons of drug testing were hotly debated at several school board meetings 
this summer before members adopted the policy.
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