Pubdate: Thu, 04 May 2006
Source: Times-Journal, The (Fort Payne, AL)
Copyright: 2006 Times-Journal
Contact:  http://www.times-journal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1883
Author: Mark Harrison, The Times-Journal
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)

MORE SHOW AT SECOND DRUG-TESTING MEETING

The second public forum on proposed student drug  testing drew a 
stronger turnout than the first one,  attended by only one parent.

About 25 people showed up Tuesday for the second forum  at the DeKalb 
County Materials/Facilities Center in  Rainsville.

The proposed testing program, patterned after one  recently adopted 
for use in the Fort Payne City School  System, includes only students 
who are involved in  competitive extracurricular activities or who 
drive to  school. The program sets graduated penalties for  violation 
that include at least temporary suspensions  from those activities.

The proposed program would use a random, computerized  selection 
method to pick which students are tested on a  particular day.

Liz Wear, director of the Partnership for a Drug-Free  DeKalb, said 
questions Tuesday centered on why all  students aren't in the random 
pool and also why  teachers aren't included. In both cases, Wear said 
the  answer is that both of those practices would be unconstitutional.

DeKalb County Superintendent Charles Warren said the  school board 
and its legal representatives are  currently looking into what would 
- -- and would not --  be allowable as far as testing teachers. Warren 
said it  is permissible to test new hires and he earlier  suggested a 
voluntary testing program where teachers  could request to be 
included as part of the random  pool.

However, Warren stressed that teacher testing is a  separate issue 
from the proposed student drug testing  program.

Wear said up to 49 percent of the student population  could legally 
be placed in the random pool for drug  testing. She said the U.S. 
Supreme Court has ruled that  performing drug tests on an entire 
student population  is unconstitutional, which is why the program 
involves only those students involved in voluntary  extracurricular 
activities, to include driving to  school and parking on campus.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom