Pubdate: Mon, 07 Jul 2008
Source: Green Bay Press-Gazette (WI)
Copyright: 2008 Green Bay Press-Gazette
Contact: http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/contact/forms/editor_letter.shtml
Website: http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/879
Author: Patti Zarling
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)

DE PERE HIGH SCHOOL FINISHES FIRST YEAR OF RANDOM DRUG TESTING

DE PERE -- De Pere High School has completed its first  year of 
random drug and alcohol testing.

The tests, part of an updated co-curricular code, could  be given to 
any students participating in after-school  activities, including 
competitive activities, such as  football or cheerleading, to 
service-oriented  activities such as the ecology or drama clubs.

Students who have parking permits also were subjected  to the tests, 
as were students who signed up for DREAM,  a group pledging to not 
use drugs or alcohol.

According to a report from the School District, the  school tested 
364 students during the school year. Of  those, less than 1 percent, 
or fewer than 10 students,  tested positive for drugs. Included in 
that number are  students who refused to be tested.

Some of the numbers in the pool were: 923 
co-curricular  participants, representing 74.2 percent of the 
student  population; and 334 DREAM participants, or 26.8 percent  of 
total students.

Total school enrollment was 1,244 students, with 998 in  at least one 
pool. Of those, about a third were tested.

At the beginning of the school year, students were  given numbers. A 
certain number of students were  randomly chosen each week, and those 
students were  randomly tested on the spot at school.

De Pere is the first school district in Brown County to  adopt the 
random tests.

The School Board, by a 6-1 vote last year approved an  overall new 
co-curricular code of conduct. In tandem,  the board gave its support 
to random drug tests for  students who participate in after-school 
activities or  those with parking privileges, as well as random tests 
for alcohol use at proms, dances and other school  events.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom