Pubdate: Sun, 25 Oct 2009 Source: Galesburg Register-Mail (IL) Copyright: 2009 Galesburg Register-Mail Contact: http://www.register-mail.com/news/letters/index.html Website: http://www.galesburg.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3864 Author: Chris Mouzakitis Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States) DRUG TESTING GETS PASSING GRADE One GHS Student Tests Positive in First Group of 24 GALESBURG -- Drug testing is in full-swing in District 205, and although only one student has tested positive for drug use, nearly all the feedback administrators have received has been on the plus side. Galesburg High School joined thousands across the country in August when it began testing students participating in athletics, extracurriculars and co-curricular activities. The latter category includes band and choir -- classes taken for a grade but with practices outside regular school hours. As of Wednesday, 24 GHS students from a pool of 985 have been tested. The one student who tested positive is receiving help, Superintendent Gene Denisar said earlier this month. "I'm pleased with the feedback we've received," said Diane VanHootegem, 205 director for human resources. "That's not to say some aren't complaining. I'm sure they are. I just haven't heard it." In a June survey available on the district's Web site, 57 percent of GHS seniors who voted were in favor of the new policy, which was approved later that month. Of those surveyed, 43 percent were against drug testing. Students appeared to be similarly split Thursday. Some weren't even sure of the details behind the testing. "I don't like it. I don't think it's needed," said Santino Melgosa, a junior at GHS, who will be eligible for testing in the spring when he plays baseball. "They don't always do it in bigger cities, so why here?" Meanwhile other students viewed it -- not unlike the school -- as another reason to say "no" to drugs. "I think they should test us. Why would you want to do drugs when you need to stay focused on athletics?" said junior Rogeria Ferguson. Many students couldn't understand why only certain people were tested. "If they do it for sports and other activities, they should drug-test everybody," said Jacob Schwieter, a sophomore on the golf team. VanHootegem reiterated what was told to the public when the issue was raised this summer when the board voted 4-1, with two absences, to approve the policy at GHS. "The courts do not give such latitudes to schools regarding the entire student body," she said. "A right to an education is just that, a right. Students have a choice in participating in extracurricular activities." None of the GHS students who were against the new policy planned to question the testing. "That's just my opinion. One of the many," Melgosa said. "I'm not worried." In October, the school board discussed expanding the program to the junior high schools, something Denisar and some board members appeared to favor. How Testing Works Each week, a computer randomly selects five eligible students for testing. Four will be tested. The fifth student serves as an alternate in case one of the first four is absent. (An absent student won't avoid the test for long. He is tested immediately upon returning to the school.) The four chosen are escorted by either the athletic or activities director to the school nurse's office. Once there, students take a urine test administered by a Galesburg Cottage Hospital employee. Each week begins a new testing cycle so all 986 names are eligible. In the event of a student's refusal to take the test, the district's outline of the policy states: "It will be deemed a positive result and appropriate consequences will be imposed." Parents are immediately notified of a positive drug test while a negative (drug-free) test results in a "congratulatory" letter sent to the family. Consequences of a positive test vary based on the offense, VanHootegem said. An athlete's first-time positive test would result in his suspension for one third of a season. The district chose to test students in the nurse's office rather than at an independent site because it didn't want them to miss too much class time. Beyond location, the district's only involvement in the tests is through the escort to the nurse and the other employee who operates the computer that selects student's names. More information available on GHS's Web site, www.streaks.org, under the secondary code of conduct tab. [sidebar] DRUG TESTING BY THE NUMBERS 72 percent (985 out of 1,368 total students) of the high school is eligible for testing due to participation in extracurricular and co-curricular activities 24 students have been tested as of Oct. 21. One has tested positive. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake