Pubdate: Thu, 22 Dec 2005
Source: Baytown Sun, The (TX)
Copyright: 2005sBaytown Sun
Contact:  http://web.baytownsun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1696
Author: Austin Kinghorn
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)

ANAHUAC BOARD OK'S EXPANDED DRUG TESTING

More Anahuac school district students will be tested for drugs when they 
return to school after the Christmas break.

The district's school board has voted to expand its old  policy to test 
half of the school's eligible population  every year. Eligible students 
include those who  participate in extracurricular activities and 
those  registered for parking permits.

"One of the main reasons is we wanted to give students  an excuse to say no 
to drugs," said Superintendent  Linda Barnhart. "It's not as much about 
punishment as  it is about prevention."

The policy also calls for 25 percent of the middle  school's eligible 
population to be tested every year.

The board modified the proposal, which has been under  consideration since 
November, by giving parents of any  student the opportunity to add their 
child to the  testing pool even if he or she does not meet the  eligibility 
guidelines for testing.

"We had some parents that wanted their kids in no  matter what," said board 
President Clint Fancher.

The program was previously limited to student athletes  and required 
"reasonable suspicion" that the student  was using drugs.

Both Barnhart and Fancher said they have received only  positive feedback 
since the board adopted the new  policy.

"It's been very positive," Fancher said. "Everyone  seems to understand 
we've got a problem and that this  is a step in the right direction."

The tests will cost the district $25 each.

The program will begin for the Spring 2006 semester.  Barnhart said 
starting the program quickly at mid-year  will allow the district to work 
any kinks out of the  system for the start of the 2006-07 school year.

Barbers Hill is the only other area district that uses  random drug testing 
on all middle and high school  students who participate in extra 
curricular  activities.

Additionally, every Barbers Hill seventh-grader must  submit to a 
preliminary drug test before participating  in an activity along with any 
student that begins  participating in extra curricular activities for 
the  first time at any point between seventh grade and high school graduation.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom