Pubdate: Thu, 22 Sep 2005
Source: Athens News, The (OH)
Copyright: 2005, Athens News
Contact:  http://www.athensnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1603
Author: Jim Phillips, Athens News Senior Writer
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Test)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

NEW ALEXANDER GROUP HOPES TO REPLACE TWO BOARD INCUMBENTS

The formation of a new citizens group in the Alexander Local School 
District may have been triggered by a school board decision to 
institute drug testing of certain students, but group members say 
their agenda is wider than that.

Doug Keiter, one of the members of the newly formed Alexander 
Citizens for a Responsive School Board (ACRSB), said the group's main 
concern is "a lack of communication between the board and the community."

ACRSB announced its formation earlier this month with a press 
release, in which it suggested that it would be working toward 
putting new members on the Alexander School Board in the upcoming 
general election.

Keiter said the targeted incumbents are Stephen Thomas and Synthia 
Clary. He said the group supports the re-election of member Fred 
Davis, the third incumbent who's up for re-election in November.

The challengers for the board are Gordon Brooks, Michael Chapman, and 
Pat Lawson, all of Albany. Board President David Kasler, probably the 
most outspoken supporter of the drug policy, is not up for 
re-election, nor is incumbent Dale Sinclair.

Of the five sitting board members, Davis is the only one who opposed 
the institution of Alexander's new drug-testing policy. The policy 
requires students to undergo urine testing for illegal drug use if 
they want to participate in sports or cheerleading, or drive to 
school. It has sparked fierce opposition from some district parents.

"We would like for Fred to be re-elected," Keiter confirmed. "He is, 
in our opinion, not just the only one on the board opposed to the 
drug policy, but he's also the best communicator with the community, 
with the public."

Keiter added, "I think the drug policy is just a symptom of a lack of 
communication between the board and the community," and said that 
ACRSB is supporting a group of challengers for board seats based on 
this issue, and "not just because they'll rescind the drug policy."

In fact, most of the challengers have declined to flat out say 
they'll rescind the drug testing.

Keiter said ACRSB wants board members "who will listen to community 
input... as they make decisions about anything."

With three seats coming up for election, three challengers have filed 
to run. The election is on an at-large plurality basis, meaning the 
top three vote getters out of the six candidates will get the three open seats.

One of the targeted incumbents, Stephen Thomas, defended his support 
for the drug testing Tuesday, and said he doesn't see the evidence 
for ACRSB's claim that the board is unresponsive.

"I really don't know what they'd be talking about," Thomas said. 
"We've got a pretty good, open relationship with our staff and our 
community... We've made it known that anybody can come to the board 
meetings and ask any questions."

Thomas said that he's convinced the drug testing is needed to curb 
student drug abuse, and won't back off that position to win votes.

"I'm for the policy. I voted for the policy," he said. "It's a tool 
that can be used for the kids in many ways. It gives them a chance to 
say no (to drugs), with the pressures that they're under today."

Regarding the many parents who have spoken out vehemently against the 
policy -- citing among other points its expense, the possibility for 
erroneous results, and the lack of evidence that it will be effective 
- -- Thomas said he has listened to their arguments, but hasn't been convinced.

"They have valid points, but it's just an issue that we had to make a 
decision on," he said. "There's good and bad points in the thing. The 
board didn't decide this on its own."

In his four years on the board, he said, he has heard evidence of 
drug problems among the student body. "Our staff has been scratching 
their heads, wondering what they can do more of (to address the 
problem)," he said.

Challengers Brooks and Chapman both echoed Keiter's position that 
while drug testing is an important issue, it's only the iceberg's tip.

"I definitely don't want to be tagged as, the only reason to be 
running for the school board is the drug policy," Chapman said. "One 
of the issues is, I would like to see more open public participation 
at school board meetings -- just more of an open attitude toward the 
board meetings."

He added, "I think there just needs to be some common decisions made, 
from the common people in the community. My main goal is to represent 
the people of the community, and be everybody's representative."

Brooks agreed that "the drug testing stuff is just a symptom of a 
lack of communication." He said he's concerned that while the current 
school board has time to talk about drug policies, it rarely seems to 
inform the public on core academic issues in the district.

"I haven't seen the board talking about the status of the students, 
or how well the students are learning," he said. "They really haven't 
talked that much about education at all. To me, that ought to be a 
topic almost every meeting."

The NEWS was unable to reach Clary and Lawson for comment.

According to the agenda of the Alexander School Board, the board 
plans to discuss at tonight's meeting "pre-employment drug testing" 
in the school district and "other extra-curricular activity drug 
testing." This apparently refers to students involved in various 
clubs and other school-sponsored extra-curricular activities at Alexander.
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MAP posted-by: Elizabeth Wehrman