Pubdate: Wed, 26 Jul 2006 Source: Amory Advertiser (MS) Copyright: 2006 Journal Publishing Co., Inc. Contact: http://www.djournal.com/pages/advertiser/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4208 Author: Lena Mitchell, Daily Journal Corinth Bureau Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Test) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) STUDENT DRUG TESTING USED MORE WIDELY THIS YEAR Students returning to school next month look forward to new experiences: new status, new classes, new teachers, new activities. What also awaits many of them are new rules, and in some cases a new student random drug testing policy. Several school districts - Booneville and Prentiss, Itawamba and Tishomingo counties among them - are implementing the new policies for the 2006-07 academic year. Five other school districts in the region also have drug-testing policies for some or all their students. "Our students deserve a safe and secure environment to learn, and this policy is designed to ensure that," said Malcolm Kuykendall, Tishomingo County's newly appointed superintendent. Likewise, Prentiss County will implement a random drug testing policy after examining those used in other area districts and the prototype available through the state Department of Education. However, where the new policy in Tishomingo County and Booneville schools will apply onlyto students involved in extracurricular activities like band and sports, the Prentiss County policy will apply to all students, faculty and staff. "We're going to use ours to randomly drug test any kid in school or any employee who works for the district," said Prentiss County superintendent Kenneth Chism. "We just included everybody." Tishomingo County's random testing of students also will apply to students who drive vehicles to school. Effectiveness questioned Student drug testing is not without its opponents, who insist research does not support the policies making any difference on whether young people use drugs. A 2003 study sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse that included 94,000 students in 900 American schools, half with a drug testing policy and half without, found there was no difference in illegal drug use among students, said Jennifer Kern, spokeswoman for the Drug Policy Alliance Legal Affairs Department. Those results were confirmed in a followup study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, she said. Although they did not have this data when making a decision about the Booneville School District policy, superintendent Larry Morgan said the school board considered data from the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy and recommendations from other organizations. "Our information basically has come from talking with other school districts which have previously had this policy," he said. In Booneville, the policy will include random testing as well as testing if there is a suspicion of illegal drug use by students participating in band and all sports, said Morgan. "That will probably expand as we go each year," he said. "We looked at a lot of policies from other school districts and collected materials over a period of time before putting ours together using information from all those sources." Year's experience South Tippah County School District implemented a student random drug testing policy during the 2005-06 school year, and superintendent Wardell Herring said no one tested positive for drugs throughout the year. "In all of our communities, there are potential drug situations available to our students," Herring said. "What we're trying to do more than anything is help our students be successful, and we feel the drug culture does not promote a healthy learning body or environment. Consequences of testing positive on the random drug test escalate from a first offense through multiple offenses. Penalties range in the different districts from suspension from activities and driving to school on a first offense, and referral to counseling, to referral to alternative school, one year's suspension and/or expulsion for additional offenses. Each district indicated the priority is to get parents involved, get help for the student and deter further use of illegal substances. "We are serious about caring for our students, and I do believe having a drug policy in our district has had a positive impact on our district," Herring said. "We've had positive feedback from parents and the community." The state Department of Education supports student drug testing, a department spokeswoman said, and through the Division of Safe and Orderly Schools offers guidelines to help school districts develop their own policies. Do they test or not? SCHOOL DISTRICTS - - Alcorn County: no - - Benton County: no - - Booneville: starts 2006-07 school year - - Calhoun - no - - Chickasaw County: no - - Corinth: no - - Itawamba County: starts 2006-07 school year - - Lafayette County: yes - - Lee County: no - - Monroe County: no - - New Albany: yes - - North Tippah County: no - - Oktibbeha County: no - - Oxford: no - - Pontotoc City: no - - Pontotoc County: no - - Prentiss County: starts 2006-07 school year - - South Tippah County: yes - - Starkville: no - - TCPS: no - - Tishomingo County: starts 2006-07 school year - - Tupelo: athletes only - - Union County: yes For more information about school drug testing: Missississippi Department of Education, Division on Safe and Orderly Schools: http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/lead/osos/Threat.htm What's your opinion on the student drug testing issue? We want to hear from you. E-mail comments to include your name, address and phone number. Comments will be posted online at Djournal.com. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek