Pubdate: Sun, 21 Feb 2010
Source: SouthtownStar (Tinley Park, IL)
Copyright: 2010 Digital Chicago, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.southtownstar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4719
Author: Casey Cora
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Test)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

MARIST MAY DRUG TEST ALL STUDENTS

Multiple choice. Essays. Pop quizzes.

Students at Marist High School may be subjected to yet  another test
next school year, but it's one they can  prepare for by doing nothing
at all.

Principal Larry Tucker insists a proposed new drug  testing policy at
the school isn't geared toward  punishing students at the coed
Catholic school in  Chicago's Mount Greenwood community.

Instead, he said, drug testing would be an extension of  the school's
"family" atmosphere.

"Part of our mission is to help kids continue to make  good
decisions," he said. "It's part of who we are."

Tucker said he was impressed by the drug-free  compliance rates at
other schools in Marist's East  Suburban Catholic Conference, whose
principals boast  remarkable success rates.

Under the proposal, Marist's entire student body would  undergo a drug
test at least once each school year -  during the first semester - and
possibly again during  random tests in the second semester.

The tests, which cost about $45 per session, likely  would be taken
via hair follicle samples and  administered by Psychemedics Corp., a
Massachusetts-based company that specializes in  narcotics testing in
schools and private industry.

The tests would look for traces of marijuana, cocaine,  PCP, Ecstasy,
amphetamines and certain classes of  prescription drugs, but not steroids.

Marist's faculty would be exempt.

The idea of implementing the policy was kicked around  during a
sparsely attended special meeting this week,  and its future now rests
with a 20-some person school  task force and could be cemented with a
Marist school  board vote.

Roberta Hynes is part of that team.

A parent of a 14-year-old Marist freshman, she's  backing the proposal
100 percent because "it's such a  great benefit for Marist, the
community and children.

"It can give parents relief," she said. " 'Oh, my God,  my child is
using,' or 'Oh, thank God they aren't.' "

But the idea of a schoolwide test has been met with  opposition,
including a small Facebook group.

As school let out on Friday, many groups of students  said they
opposed the testing - not because they take  drugs but because the
testing seems costly and  unnecessary.

Some students said most of their peers don't take hard  drugs, if they
take them at all. And what substances do  get used, such as chewing
tobacco and alcohol, probably  wouldn't show up on test results
anyway, they said.

"Maybe they should just test suspected students,"  16-year-old
sophomore Kevin Kelly said.

"It's not worth it," 15-year-old freshman Chris Jackson  said. "My
parents aren't happy about it, either."

But many parents in the Marist community are supporting  the
proposal.

Therese Gray, whose 18-year-old son will have graduated  by the time
the tests would start, said she backs the  testing, despite any
privacy issues.

"Drugs and alcohol are illegal, so is it invading my  child's'
privacy? When it comes to my child, it  probably isn't," she said. "It
means my child's safe at  school." 
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D