Pubdate: Wed, 07 Jun 2006
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch (MO)
Copyright: 2006 St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Contact:  http://www.stltoday.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/418
Author: Shane Anthony
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Test)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mdma.htm (Ecstasy)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

DRUG TESTING PLAN DRAWS QUESTIONS

St. Charles County -- A few parents took advantage Tuesday night of 
their  first opportunity to ask questions of Francis Howell  School 
District administrators about a proposed drug  testing program for students.

The first of three town hall meetings to discuss the  proposal drew 
about 30 people. It generated about an  hour of discussion after 
district officials explained  the program. One topic that came up 
repeatedly was how  the program targets students for testing.

The proposal would require students who are involved in 
extracurricular activities or have a permit to park on  high school 
campuses to submit to random urine tests  throughout their high 
school years. High school  students not involved in activities and 
middle school  students could participate voluntarily.

But Debe Hoffman, 47, of O'Fallon, the parent of two  current 
district students and one graduate, said  students who aren't in 
extracurricular activities might  be the ones who need the testing the most.

Jim Joyce, the district's director of communications,  said a U.S. 
Supreme Court ruling doesn't allow public  school districts to 
randomly test all students. But the  court has permitted random 
testing of students who are  in a protected class, such as those 
involved in  extracurricular activities.

Todd Berck, dean of students and head football coach at  Francis 
Howell Central High School, said a committee  that studied the 
testing program designed it to include  students with a parking pass 
to make the pool of  students being tested as large as possible.

In an interview, Hoffman said that she hadn't been  aware of the 
legal restraints and that she strongly  supported the testing program.

Joyce has said the program is intended to be a  partnership between 
parents and the schools to help  identify students who use drugs and 
find help for them.

"This program is not designed to be a 'gotcha'  program," he said.

Edith Grabbe, 45, of O'Fallon, the parent of two  children in the 
district, said she would not  voluntarily sign her children up for 
testing unless she  believed they had problems with drugs. She said 
she had  worked as an analytical chemist before having children  and 
that tests can produce false positives.

The board is expected to vote on the policy on June 15.  Two more 
town hall meetings remain, at 7 p.m. tonight  at Francis Howell North 
High School, 2549 Hackmann  Road, St. Peters; and at 7 p.m. Thursday 
at Francis  Howell Central High School, 5199 Highway N, Cottleville.

The tests would check for substances, including  marijuana, cocaine, 
benzodiazepines, anabolic steroids,  opiates, methamphetamines and ecstasy.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman