MARYVILLE SCHOOLS ENACT FIRST DRUG TEST

The Maryville City Schools System Has Its First Student Drug Testing
Policy In Place.

The Board of Education passed two policies Monday night on second
reading that puts a policy for drug testing of students enrolled in
the alternative programs into place and a policy for procedures of
such testing.

Both policies passed unanimously.

Director of Schools Mike Dalton said the system did not have any kind
of policy in place that allowed for drug testing of students in place
until those policies passed.

Alan Fair, a teacher at Maryville Academy, said students who were on
probation were tested under guidelines from their probation officer.
Maryville Academy is an alternative program operated by the city
school system.

These new policies allow for the teachers to inform the parents or
guardians of students attending Maryville Academy and the other
alternative program that testing might be done during the school year.
The other alternative program is a short-term school for students with
disciplinary problems and is operated at Sam Houston Elementary School.

In most cases, parents will be given notice of the drug test on the
day the test is given.

The policies were designed to follow similar procedures regarding drug
testing of minors in the juvenile court system.

Maryville Academy teacher Cathy Finney said the testing of students
will help teachers deal with potential drug problems.

``We've had a student confide to one of the aides that she was high
that day and we couldn't do anything to follow up on it,'' Finney said.

Fair said the results of the drug tests will be used as an
intervention tool to help with rehabilitation.

Prior to the vote, board member Denny Garner expressed some concern
about the potential for discrimination suits since only students
enrolled in the alternative programs would be subject to drug testing.

Dalton said that some of the students are enrolled in the alternative
programs as a result of problems related to drug abuse and some sort
of testing can be expected in alternative programs.