Pubdate: Tue, 15 Jul 2008
Source: Post-Crescent, The (Appleton,  WI)
Copyright: 2008 The Post-Crescent
Contact: http://www.postcrescent.com/contact/forms/editor_letter.shtml
Website: http://www.postcrescent.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1443
Author: Jim Collar
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States)

KIMBERLY DRUG PROGRAM SHOWS POSITIVE RESULTS

KIMBERLY -- Nearly 99 percent of Kimberly High School  students
randomly tested for drugs last year showed  clean results.

A three-year grant recently given to the Kimberly Area School
District by the state Department of Public  Instruction will try to
assure that those high marks  will continue.

The Kimberly school board Monday night reviewed the results of the
sixth year of the district's Operation  Clean drug and alcohol
prevention program.

As part of Operation Clean, the school randomly chooses students for
drug testing if they participate in  cocurricular activities, have
parking permits or  participate in the Promise Makers organization.
Promise  Makers requires students to pledge abstinence from  drugs and
alcohol.

The district also announced receiving $45,000 during each of the next
three years for its prevention  efforts.

"It affords a lot of opportunity for our kids, and we can continue
forward with what we're doing," Supt. Bob  Mayfield said.

Operation Clean statistics have shown continued  success.

Kimberly High School Principal Mike Rietveld said school officials
had initial concerns that cocurricular  activity would wane when the
program was instituted in  the 2002-03 school year. They also feared
that Promise  Makers participation would fall as time passed. Yet the
program has included about two-thirds of the student  body for three
years and cocurricular participation  remains strong.

Student cooperation is considered another hallmark of
success.

The district assumes a positive reading in instances where students
refuse to take a test. Last year marked  the second consecutive year
without a refusal.

"They know it's part of the process," Rietveld said of  his students.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin