Pubdate: Thu, 06 Jul 2006
Source: Pantagraph, The  (IL)
Copyright: 2006 The Pantagraph
Contact:  http://www.pantagraph.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/643
Author: Julia Voss
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Test)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

COST MAY STOP FIELDCREST DRUG TEST PLAN

MINONK -- The cost of testing could keep Fieldcrest  School District
from implementing a random drug-testing  policy currently under review.

The policy only would be used to determine who's  eligible to try out
and participate in competitive  extracurricular activities.

"Several people I talked to thought this was a step in  the right
direction," said board President Joe  Kirkpatrick. "To move the bar a
little bit and have  higher expectations."

The proposed policy says the district would pay for all  initial
random tests or any additional reliability  testing and that any
retesting or additional testing  would be paid for by parents or guardians.

But "I do not believe we would implement it unless we  would get funds
from another source to do so," said  Superintendent Randy Vincent.
"But, it's also my belief  that if the board adopts the policy and
that parents  and kids are required to sign off, that in itself will
prevent some kids from making bad choices -- whether we  test one,
none, or 100."

The district would talk to either the Boosters' Club or  another group
to see if it would donate money for the  tests.

The district wants to stop the use of prohibited  substances, not find
a way to punish a student in  addition to disqualification from
extracurricular  activities.

"The whole idea behind this is preventions," said  Vincent. "it's to
give them (students) another reason  to say 'no.' "

Students and parents would have to agree to allow the  student to be
tested before the student would be  allowed to participate in
extracurricular activities.

Students in grades 7-12 could be selected at random  throughout the
school year, regardless of the season of  their activity.

Any positive test without proper medical documentation  would require
a follow-up test after a suspension is  served or after the substance
normally would be  eliminated from the body.

The district could re-test the student anytime during  the year.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Derek