Pubdate: Tue, 21 Jun 2005
Source: Times Record News (Wichita Falls, TX)
Copyright: 2005 The E.W. Scripps Co.
Contact:  http://TimesRecordNews.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/995
Author: Ann Work, Times Record News
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Test)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

WFISD TO PUT DRUG TESTING POLICY IN PLACE

It wasn't unanimous, but almost.

School board members for the Wichita Falls Independent School District 
voted Monday to put a drug testing policy in place, starting in August, for 
a cost of $15,000 to $24,000 annually.

The as-of-yet-funded program will do random drug testing of 120 students in 
ninth through 12th grade on five to eight occasions throughout the year.

All tested students will come from the pool of about 1,200 students who 
participate in school-sponsored extracurricular activities.

One board member, Liz Talbert, opposed the drug-testing policy, preferring 
instead to beef up the district's curriculum. "We're in the education 
business, not the deterrent business," she said. "We're imposing drug 
testing that has not been proven to be a deterrent."

Talbert also criticized the policy because it did not require educators to 
lead by example. "The worst lesson we can teach is hypocrisy," she said.

Talbert's husband, Dr. Tom Talbert, served on the district's Drug Testing 
Advisory Committee. He mentioned frequently to committee members the lack 
of research showing the effectiveness of drug testing.

The Rev. Reginald Blow disagreed. Requiring students to get drug tests was 
no different than asking athletes to get physicals before playing sports.

"I come from a community ravaged by drugs," he said. "In my community, the 
biggest hopes are to get an NBA contract. If this drug policy deters 
students (from drug use so they can compete), I'm 10 million percent in 
favor of it."

The program will give students a reason to say no, said board member Kirk 
Wolfe. It will alert the school to any student who wants to keep using 
drugs, he said. If after three "dirty" drug tests, "I don't want them 
around my kid," he said. "We remove them from participation so other kids 
are not subjected to them."

Board President Ken Hines urged board members not to see the policy as 
hypocritical. "We deter all kinds of activity to create the right 
environment in school," he said.

Board members approved the selection of Pinnacle Medical Management, a 
Houston- and Dallas-based firm, to conduct the drug tests in a 6-0 vote. 
(Talbert abstained.) At $25 per urinalysis test, the cost of testing 120 
students would come to $3,000 per event, according to district handouts.

Sherry Lindemann, the 2005 Texas Teacher of the Year, has publicly 
criticized drug-testing but said the day's vote sends a message to students 
that staying drug free is important.

In other business:

( Board members voted 6-1 to change the district's cell phone policy. Until 
now, students have not been allowed to have cell phones at school. Now, 
students will be allowed to carry cell phones as long as they keep them out 
of sight and don't use them at any time during the school day.

Steve Ayer opposed the policy change, fearing there will be a problem with 
text messaging.

( In Open Forum remarks, community member Anita Leick urged board members 
to rethink their decision to remove funding from the flight portion of 
Hirschi's Aviation Program. The abrupt cancellation of funding in the last 
week of school broke a promise to 10 students who were counting on 
finishing out the program with their pilot's license.

Board member Steve Ayer urged her to take her complaint to state Legislator 
David Farabee. "We're trying to make ends meet, and we're in the hole. Part 
of this is barking at the wrong dog," he said.
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MAP posted-by: Beth