Pubdate: Sat, 14 Jun 2008 Source: Oklahoman, The (OK) Copyright: 2008 The Oklahoma Publishing Co. Contact: http://www.oklahoman.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/318 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States) 'A WAY OUT:' DRUG TESTING OF STUDENTS GROWING IT'S been a decade since the Tecumseh school board decided to randomly drug test students involved in extracurricular activities. That 1998 decision kicked off a protracted legal battle that ended with a 2002 U.S. Supreme Court decision in the district's favor. Until the high court's ruling, schools that required testing did so almost exclusively for athletes. Tecumseh officials surely had no idea their policy decision would end up a matter of national debate. Ten years later, many schools have drug testing programs that go beyond athletes. The U.S. Department of Education even offers grant money to help school districts finance drug testing programs. Federal officials recently announced that the Harrah and Tahlequah school districts will receive $78,330 and $150,000, respectively, for drug testing. Nationwide, the education department's Office and Safe and Drug-Free Schools awarded $5.8 million in grants. The grant will allow Harrah's school district to move from testing only students under suspicion of being under the influence to a random program involving all students in extracurricular activities. "We're like a lot of the other communities," Superintendent Dean Hughes recently told The Oklahoman. "We know what's out there. We just want to make sure our students are safe because many times they don't understand the problems that come with using illegal drugs and alcohol." While drug testing has grown in popularity, we're among those who believe the decision to do so is best made at the local level with plenty of input from the community, including parents and students. Yukon school officials did just that before deciding in 2004 on random drug testing to complement beefed-up drug and alcohol awareness programs and other prevention efforts. The decision was emotional. Earlier in the year, a high school freshman had died of a drug overdose and another student had a drug-related collapse and ended up in the hospital. This month, Yukon administrators reported that of 1,341 drug and alcohol tests administered last school year, only 15 students tested positive compared with double that the prior year. The results improved even though the district added Breathalyzer tests to its arsenal and tested dozens of students during prom. None of those students tested failed the test, officials said. "We think our drug testing policy has been a deterrent," assistant superintendent Kent Mathers told The Oklahoman's Jesse Olivarez. "I think it gives a kid an excuse (to say no), especially a kid involved in school competitions an excuse ... so they have a way out." Of course, testing is only one way for communities to tackle drug use and underage drinking. But tragedies like those in Yukon are reminders that parents and schools sometimes need all the help they can get. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom