Pubdate: Wed, 10 May 2006
Source: Rome News-Tribune (GA)
Copyright: 2006sRome News-Tribune
Contact:  http://www.romenews-tribune.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1716
Author: Joseph Lord, Sports Writer
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Test)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

CLARKSVILLE APPROVES STUDENT DRUG TESTING

Students Who Participate In Extracurricular Activities Subject To Random Tests

High and middle school students who participate in  extracurricular 
activities -- from basketball players  to band members -- may be 
subject to random drug and  alcohol testing in Clarksville Community 
School Corp.

School corporation trustees unanimously approved a  "random testing 
for drug and alcohol" policy during its  meeting Tuesday night.

"Hopefully, we'll never catch anybody," Superintendent  Stephen 
Fisher said after the meeting.

The policy, Fisher said, is intended to deter students  from abusing 
alcohol or illicit drugs.

Under the policy, administrators may once a month  randomly pull 
student information from a kettle. Only  those students' names that 
are pulled can be tested,  Fisher said. School administrators may 
choose not to  test any students, he said.

Only students who participate in extracurricular  activities and 
drive to school will be subject to the  random testing. Those are the 
only students who can be  randomly tested under Indiana law, Fisher said.

"We felt like there is a real need," trustees president  Bill Wilson 
said after the meeting.

But Wilson said he had to overcome reservations about a  policy that 
intrudes on privacy.

No one spoke during Tuesday night's meeting for or  against the proposal.

Corporation administrators spent about two years  creating the 
policy, but their interest was not sparked  by a specific incident, Fisher said.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman