Pubdate: Sat, 08 Jul 2006
Source: Sedalia Democrat (MO)
Copyright: The Sedalia Democrat 2006
Contact:  http://sedaliademocrat.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1801
Author: Kaye Fair
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Test)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

BOARD, COUNCIL TO MEET MONDAY

Sedalia school administrators are seeking the help of  the City
Council as they wrestle with whether to seek  another tax increase to
build and improve schools.

The Board of Education has called a joint work session  with the City
Council for 5:30 p.m. Monday at the  Smith-Cotton High School.

The meeting will be open to the public. The board also  plans to take
up the issue of drug testing for student  athletes at a special
meeting after the work session.

In the work session, the school board wants to discuss:

*Ways in which the council and school board may work  together to
better the community.

*Concerns that the council might have about the June 6  election, in
which voters rejected a 69-cent per $100  valuation increase in
property tax. The tax increase  would have paid for a new high school
and improvements  to all the other school buildings.

*Suggestions to the district to address overcrowding.

*Suggestions to the district for becoming a  "first-class district in
the eyes of the public,"  according to the agenda.

"I hope to gain a better relationship between the city  and the
schools, a better understanding of  responsibilities," said schools
Superintendent Doug  Ebersold. "We serve the same population. ... We
also  want their feedback and input about the election  because they
represent the cross section of the city."

Sedalia City Administrator Keith Riesberg said the city  officials
view the meeting "as an opportunity for the  City Council and the
school board to discuss some of  the areas where we do have common
interests."

Mr. Riesberg said because the city and schools share  the same tax
base, they must work together for economic  development.

Dr. Ebersold said he, Mr. Riesberg and Mayor Bob Wasson  would like to
make such joint meetings an annual event.

Drug testing

The school board also will review the results of a poll  taken of 162
Smith-Cotton High School students May 17  and May 18 about the use of
drugs and the need for drug  testing athletes.

The most commonly used drugs in Smith-Cotton High  School are
marijuana, alcohol and tobacco, according to  the survey. The survey
showed that 55 percent of the  respondents favored drug testing of
student athletes  only, and 49 percent opposed it.

Such results hardly define whether students favor the  tests, said Dr.
Ebersold.

"I am not against it. I don't think it would be a bad  thing to do. I
just don't think the timing is right,"  Dr. Ebersold said. "I think we
need to look at it a  little bit closer and make sure it is what we
want to  be doing."

The board first considered drug tests for athletes last  summer. Some
grant money is available for testing.

"I think we would need to plan further ahead to get the  grants to
make it happen," Dr. Ebersold said. ... "The  advantage of doing it is
it gives the students the  opportunity to be able to say no to drugs
and alcohol.  ... The better reason is to say no because 'It's not
going to help me in my life or benefit me in the  future.' "

Also, the board will have a closed session to discuss  hiring, firing,
disciplining and promoting of  particular employees by a governmental
body when  personal information about the employee is discussed or
recorded.

The district has been hunting a director of curriculum  and
instruction to replace Tamara Kimball, who  resigned.

The board had declined to extend her contract past June 2007.

The Missouri Sunshine Law requires the board to make  public any
actions taken in closed session within 72  hours.
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MAP posted-by: Derek