Pubdate: Wed, 14 Nov 2012 Source: Daily American (Somerset, PA) Copyright: 2012 The Daily American Contact: http://www.dailyamerican.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4055 Author: Amber Rosado NORTH STAR SCHOOL BOARD OKS DRUG TESTING PROGRAM North Star school board members will begin a voluntary student drug-screening program called Remembering ADAM for ninth through 12th grades. This program will allow students to sign up for random drug screenings for the rest of the year. The program is meant to help students who might be having a drug problem, but are having trouble asking for help. It will be free to the district for the first year. The drug screening will consist of a urine sample administered by a nurse. Approximately 1,500 students are enrolled in Remembering ADAM, a substance abuse prevention program dedicated to a Carrolltown teenager who died of a heroin overdose in 1998, according to the program website. Nearby school districts involved in the program include: Cambria Heights, Conemaugh Valley and Portage. Superintendent Shawn Kovac admits to being skeptical about the program at first and whether students would sign up. "Students that want help will volunteer and if they decide to drop out of the program, they will be sent to a (guidance counselor) to discuss their decision," Kovac said. The board decided to have a presentation by representatives of Remembering ADAM for the students before the program starts for the remainder of the 2012-13 school year. A date has not been set for the student presentation. The board will have a Remembering ADAM presentation sometime before January. During the meeting, the school board accepted a donation from friends and family of deceased North Star student Johnny Blough. The donation of $3,500 was raised during the annual Johnny Blough Memorial Alumni Football Game on Nov. 3. Martin Blough, board member and Johnny's father, said the event was a great success. "We had 60 people sign up for the game and 25 baskets were donated for a raffle. We look forward to working with the board every year," Blough said. The family said they would like the donation to go toward the press box at the high school athletic field. - --- MAP posted-by: Matt