Pubdate: Thu, 15 Jun 2006
Source: Bandera Bulletin, The (TX)
Copyright: 2006 Bandera Bulletin
Contact:  http://www.banderabulletin.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3013
Author: James Taylor, Associate Editor-in-Chief
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/date+rape (date rape)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?135 (Drug Education)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States)

MEDINA SOLIDIFIES POSITION ON DRUGS

"I came to Medina because I felt it was a great place to raise my 
kids, and I still believe that."

This was Medina Independent School District Athletic Director Keith 
Mills' summary of his feelings regarding the much-talked-about 
situation involving a teacher and student who spoke out at the May 
school board meeting against administrators. Both accused the 
district, from Mills to High School Principal Ross Hord, to 
Superintendent Randy Moczygemba, of turning a blind eye to tobacco, 
alcohol and illegal drug use by students at school.

Since those accusations were made, overwhelming support has been 
shown for the school administrators by teachers, district employees 
and school board members.

"They have never overlooked anything; they've done their job," MISD 
Board President Robert DeLeon said.  "Our administrators and 
employees have done a great job."

DeLeon and others have said that, while they recognize every 
community in the United States, regardless of size, has been infected 
with substance abuse, they believe the school district is doing its 
best to educate students and eliminate the problem at school.

"I would say every community has problems - to what extent Medina 
[has problems], I don't know," Mills said. "I moved here for one main 
reason: I wanted my kids to grow up in a small town atmosphere that 
was safe and offered a good education. If I didn't believe that was 
still the case, I would not be here."

Mills has been with MISD for seven years. He took over as Athletic 
Director in 2005.

Students at MISD are provided several layers of drug education over 
the course of their 13 years in school, starting with the Drug Abuse 
Resistance Education (DARE) program at the elementary level. Medina 
is extending its DARE program to the junior high level for the 
2006-07 school year. MISD participates in the National Red Ribbon 
Week for a Drug-Free America program, during which teachers 
incorporate anti-drug messages and information into their curriculum 
and activities. In 2005, MISD added a program provided by Sergeant 
Bill Davis of Beaumont, which teaches on the subjects of drug and 
alcohol awareness, date rape, and other mature topics for high school students.

One thing MISD has lacked consistency in is teacher and employee drug 
awareness education, which the superintendent admits.

"We have not had an ongoing awareness program for employees," 
Moczygemba said. "That's something we may consider implementing more of."

Moczygemba said he has contacted the district's law firm to set up a 
full-day staff development with teachers in August, which will touch 
on the subject of substance abuse by students and how to deal with 
those situations legally and appropriately. He said this development 
day was planned before, and not in response to, the accusations made 
at last month's school board meeting.

As far as school and athletic department policies go, administrators 
and school board members all expressed confidence in the wording, 
consequences, and severity of the district's drug policies. Student 
violations of the school's substance abuse policies in the past, four 
or five instances over the last six years according to Moczygemba, 
have resulted in Alternative Education Placement each time. Athletes 
must also run miles to be able to reenter the athletic program; up to 
50 miles for a third offense with tobacco, for example. In a 
comparison provided by Mills to the school board during their June 8 
meeting, MISD's athletic department substance abuse policies are more 
stringent than the majority of class 1-A schools in Texas, and only 
more lenient than one or two others in the state.

Mills said that the accusations made against administrators at last 
month's school board meeting were "not true at all" and ensured the 
school enforces its substance abuse policies without fail.

"In the athletic department, we talk about this at the beginning of 
each year," Mills said. "We tell the students drugs, alcohol and 
tobacco are bad for you, can be devastating, and are illegal. We go 
through the policy with them every year. We even hand it out to the 
kids, they have to sign it, and their parents have to sign it. If [a 
situation] comes up, and we're made aware of it, we take care of it 
and we will continue to do so."

After being contacted by the Bulletin on June 11, Swander submitted 
the following statement by e-mail:

"I would like to clarify my intentions. Rather than focusing on me, 
the focus should be on the problem - investigate and be pro-active, 
not just re-active.  Students who have been afraid to come forward 
have spoken candidly to me, and I believe them, without a doubt. I 
sincerely feel that a strong partnership needs to be formed between 
the administration, teachers, staff, students, parents and community. 
Please do not turn a blind eye to this or any other situation that 
harms the health and well-being of the kids."

As of June 12, no other student, teacher or district employee has 
come forward to support Swander's accusations.

Random Drug Testing

"People and districts all over the state have kicked around the idea 
of random drug testing for athletes, and I've got mixed emotions 
about that," Moczygemba said.

Students have a right to free and public education, and cannot be 
randomly drug tested as a preface to admission to the school or 
classes. Athletics and other extracurricular activities, however, are 
considered a privilege, and therefore can make use of random drug testing.

Even so, Moczygemba said there are numerous student rights issues 
that come into play when considering enacting random drug tests.

"A lot of districts have been challenged in court and otherwise in 
the community," Moczygemba said. "Parents say, 'My kid isn't doing it 
so my kid shouldn't have to submit to that.'"

An alternative, Moczygemba said, was to implement a drug-free student 
program with voluntary drug tests.

"I recall one district where parents were concerned about their own 
children and drug use, and the program they looked at implementing 
was a drug-free student program where any student who wanted to could 
be tested," Moczygemba said. "The school provided the location and an 
agency to do the testing, and it was essentially voluntary. Those 
kids were then card-carrying members of the drug-free program."

Another issue raised by random drug testing is the situation where 
one individual can be randomly chosen multiple times, leading to 
accusations of targeting that individual.

"We do random drug testing of all of our bus drivers, as required by 
law, but I can tell you a couple of situations where we had employees 
get [randomly chosen] every time," Moczygemba said. "Someone could 
become paranoid because they are getting chosen every time. If 
someone's kid gets drawn every time, the parents are going to ask, 
'Are you trying to say my kid has a problem?'"

Neither the Texas Education Agency nor the University Interscholastic 
League, the latter of which governs public school athletics, have 
made any notable efforts to require districts to use random or other 
drug testing for extracurricular activity participation.

"UIL has really tried to crack down on steroid use by athletes, but 
even that has not come to a point where it's mandatory for random 
drug testing," Moczygemba said.

For more information about MISD's drug policies or to discuss the 
issue of substance abuse among students, call Moczygemba at 830-589-2855. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake