Schools to expand drug testing: Students in any extracurricular activity can be tested
Beginning next school year all county students in grades seven through 12 wishing to participate in any extracurricular activity will have to submit to random drug testing.
Officials said it was their hope the expanded drug tests would prove a deterrent to student drug use and make the school environment safer.
Under current school board policy, only athletes can be tested for drugs. The board voted to expand the system’s drug testing policy to include students in all extracurricular activities last fall after being allowed to do so by a June ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Included in the expanded testing pool will be students who participate in such activities as band, FFA and quiz bowl.
Implementation of the policy has been delayed until next school year to allow the system to determine how the tests will be administered.
It was decided Thursday night by the school board that the testing should be done on a random basis, with an accredited lab performing both the tests and the random selection. This, school board attorney Mike Galligan told board members, would ensure the board could not be found liable as well as save the system a good deal of money.
Currently, the school board allocates $30,000 a year toward drug testing, which officials said would allow them to test 100 students a month next school year. System Federal Programs director Priscilla Wanamaker informed the board that this year the system has been able to test 1,250 athletes. Only six of these tested positive, all of which were due to prescription medication.
“We have had no true positives,” she said.
As with athletes, refusal of students in extra-curricular activities to consent to the drug tests will result in removal from the club or activity.
Should a student test positive, he or she will still be allowed to practice with the club or activity, but will not be allowed to compete in any way.
These students would also have the opportunity to take a second test. If results of that test are positive, they will be removed for the remainder of the year. By law, positive results cannot be reason for disciplinary action, such as school suspension or expulsion.