Pubdate: Sat, 23 May 2009
Source: Times Leader, The (KY)
Copyright: 2009 The Times Leader, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.timesleader.net
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4319
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)

SCHOOL DRUG TESTING PROPOSAL SHIFTS

Members of a committee charged with developing a drug  testing policy 
for students in the Caldwell County  School District are shifting 
their focus toward a new  group of students.

School Health Coordinator Will Brown, the head of the  committee that 
began its research about two years ago,  updated school board members 
on the group's progress  this week.

Initially, the committee had focused on developing a  random drug 
testing policy for students involved in  extracurricular activities, 
such as athletics, band and  school clubs.

Of late, though, the committee has suspended that angle.

"Essentially, we felt that policy would not bring the  ends that we 
were looking for," said Brown.

Pursuing that form of a policy would only allow a  limited number of 
students to be tested, he said.

And the students most in danger of falling victim to  drug abuse are 
often those uninvolved in  extracurricular activities, thus exempting 
them from  drug testing, he said.

"We're not getting help to those most desperately in  need," he said.

As an alternative, Brown said, the committee is  exploring a more 
focused, "suspicion-based" testing  program.

The focus will now be on "fringe" students perceived to  be in danger.

Brown said that assessment would be backed up by  certain statutory 
criteria, such as attendance and  discipline records.

The policy may also be redrafted as a voluntary one,  where parents 
and guardians agree to allow their  children to be tested.

A voluntary program would be "extremely legally sound,"  said Brown.

Either way, the policy would not be cast as one with  punishment in mind.

"We don't want to catch them. We want to help them,"  Brown said.

The committee will reconvene this summer to continue  its research.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom