Pubdate: Wed, 19 Dec 2007
Source: Times Leader, The (KY)
Copyright: 2007 The Times Leader, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.timesleader.net
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4319
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Test)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

DRUG TESTING PROS AND CONS WEIGHED

County school board members agreed Monday to begin an  investigation into 
the possibility of developing a  student drug testing policy.

The move is the board's first step in what school  district officials say 
will be a deliberative process,  one without a predetermined solution.

"My preference is we study it first, get our  information and then make an 
informed decision," said  school Superintendent Carrell Boyd, in the 
board's  regular meeting Monday night.

The board approved the formation of a committee to  investigate the issue 
and provide a report in the  spring.

The committee, as Boyd described it, will be led by  Assistant 
Superintendent Quin Sutton and will include  10 other members: Will Brown, 
the school district's  health coordinator; CCHS Principal Glen Ringstaff; 
CCMS  Principal Mike Stevenson, Athletics Director David Barnes; a school 
club sponsor; a school board member; a  parent; a student; a member of the 
community at large;  and School Resource Officer Brock Thomas.

Charlie Watson agreed to serve as the board's  representative.

"I just think we need real good, solid representation,"  said Boyd.

As it stands, said Boyd, the only students eligible to  be drug tested, if 
the district implemented a testing  policy, would be those involved in 
extracurricular  activities.

Many districts are also expanding that to include  student drivers, those 
who drive themselves to school.

Boyd said he did not like the idea of targeting one  particular group of 
students.

And there were other concerns as well, as voiced by the superintendent, 
board members and Board Attorney Marc  Wells.

The type of test to use, ways to screen out  legitimately-prescribed 
medication, the possibility of  a positive test from secondhand exposure 
(such as to  marijuana smoke), and the proper disciplinary measures  to 
take if a student tests positive were among several issues raised.

The intricacies of the issue warrant the formation of  the committee to 
handle research, said the  superintendent, who also told the board that 
enacting  such a policy could have legal repercussions.

"There could be litigation that comes from this that  does not mean it's 
not a good thing," he said.

One possible advantage of enacting the policy would be  that students 
subject to testing would have another  reason to turn down offers of drugs.

"I think it gives some of our kids an opportunity to  say no," said Boyd. 
"That's probably the one thing I do  like about it."

The question of whether drug testing is a school's  responsibility was also 
raised. "A lot of the experts  feel like it's still a parental issue," said 
the  superintendent.

The committee will report its findings to the board  sometime in the 
spring, but the board declined to set a  specific timetable, to allow the 
committee what time it  needed to thoroughly research the issue.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jo-D