Pubdate: Fri, 06 Feb 2009
Source: Signal, The (Santa Clarita, CA)
Copyright: 2009 The Signal
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/942n6o2y
Website: http://www.the-signal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4221
Author: Tammy Marashlian
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)

HART SCHOOL DISTRICT APPROVES DRUG TESTING

Students Question Effectiveness Of Voluntary Program

A 90-day voluntary random drug testing program will begin at every 
Hart district school in March, but some local teenagers remained 
skeptical Thursday.

"Kids aren't going to stop doing drugs because they might get 
randomly caught," said 17-year-old Jenna Kunkle, a West Ranch High 
School senior.

District officials consider the program an effective deterrent for 
student drug use, said Darryl Adams, director of human resources.

Hart district board members unanimously approved the program 
Wednesday yet some members question the program's approach.

"When we have it totally voluntary, it really limits how effective 
it's going to be," said Dennis King, William S. Hart Union High 
School District board member, on Thursday.

When first proposed more than a year ago, school officials considered 
initiating a mandatory drug testing program only for students 
involved in extracurricular activities.

The approved drug testing program includes all students and requires 
parents and their students to sign a permission slip together.

"Drug use is a problem and no administrator or parent wants kids to 
think drug use is okay," said 17-year-old Dylan Davis, a West Ranch 
High School senior.

"However, a school's job is to educate," Davis said. "The more they 
focus on a student's off-campus life, the less focused they are on 
the student's education, which should be the number-one priority."

The program does not use any money from the district or Hart district 
parents. The district will receive a $216,000 Department of Education 
grant for the 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2011-12 school years.

The third-party drug company handles all of the testing, leaving 
teachers and administrators out of the drug-testing process.

With a green light from the board, district officials are working on 
a marketing plan to brand the program as something that's helpful for 
Hart district parents, Adams said.

School officials will visit schools, parent group meetings, City 
Council meetings and use e-mails to promote the voluntary random 
drug-testing program, Adams said.

Adams experienced a voluntary random drug-testing program when he was 
a school principal.

"I felt that it worked then and it will give students an opportunity 
to say no," he said.

(Emily Heckelman contributed to this report.)
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom