Pubdate: Tue, 13 Sep 2005 Source: Palestine Herald Press (TX) Copyright: 2005, The Palestine Herald Press. Contact: http://www.palestineherald.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2487 Author: Mary Rainwater PISD APPROVES NEW DRUG-TESTING POLICY After adding some last-minute modifications, Palestine Independent School District trustees approved a new district policy regarding student drug testing during their regular meeting Monday. PISD Personnel Director and Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent Suzanne Eiben presented the final policy - FNF (Local): Student Rights and Responsibilities: Interrogations and Searches - to the board. Under the policy, random drug testing will be required of any student in the sixth through 12th grades who participates in any extracurricular activities or who plans to park a vehicle on campus. Random tests will be conducted as many as 20 times during a given school year, with no less than five percent and no more than 50 percent of the students participating being randomly selected throughout the year. The "Consequences" portion of the policy took the brunt of the changes by the board, with trustees adding punishment for a fourth offense and changing testing frequency for offenders. The policy calls for a 30-day suspension from extracurricular activities or parking a car after testing positive the first time. On the second offense, the student is suspended for 90 days and is suspended for a calendar year after the third offense. Trustees also amended the policy to state that, after testing positive, the student would be tested at the end of his/her suspension and at every subsequent testing date for the next calendar year. After testing "clean" for that year, the student is placed back into the random pool. In a related action, the board approved a contract with T.H.E. Lab of Tyler for student drug testing services. In other business, the board: - - Approved an increase in substitute teacher pay rates to $45 a day for non-degreed non-certified substitute teachers, $50 a day for degreed (four-year) non-certified teachers and $60 a day for degreed and certified teachers. Current substitute teacher pay rates are $40 a day for non-degreed non-certified substitute teachers, $45 a day for degreed (four-year) non certified teachers and $50 a day for degreed certified teachers. - - heard a final report on summer projects from contractor Buford Thompson. The contractor was pleased to report that the project was completed on time and the school district would be receiving a refund of $170,000 from the project. - - approved the Professional Development and Appraisal System (PDAS) Calendar and list of approved appraisers. - - approved student transfer request for eight students. Two of the students are tuition paying transfers and the remaining six are children of PISD employees. - - Hired third-grade teacher Christy Manning. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh