LIBERAL RESCINDS CURRENT DRUG POLICY

LIBERAL, Kan. - The Liberal school board Monday rescinded the school
district's student drug-testing policy.

The Liberal Unified School District 480 board voted 4-3 to drop the policy
for the time being, Superintendent Kerry Roberts said.

The policy, initially approved May 21, would have required random drug
tests of its middle school and high school students in extracurricular
activities, according to Globe-News files.

Some board members said they felt the current policy had too many
loopholes, according to Roberts.

Roberts said a board member asked him to continue to study the possibility
of a drug-testing policy.

"We will continue to study and work on it and see if we can't solve these
conflicts," Roberts said. "I'm in favor of it (drug testing), but I work at
the pleasure of the board."

If the policy had remained, the district randomly would select for testing
12 students from Liberal High School and three students from each of the
two middle schools every two weeks.

Parents would need to sign a permission form for their children to
participate, according to files.

Parents' refusal to sign would forfeit their student's right to participate
in extracurricular activities.

If a student tested positive for alcohol or narcotics in the urinalysis,
the student still would be able to participate in after-school activities
but would be barred from competitions or public performances, files state.

Two weeks later, the student would be tested again, according to files.

If the test came up positive again, the school could either suspend the
student's extracurricular activities for a calender year or allow the
student to participate on the condition he or she takes a drug test and
tests negative each month for a year.

"The board worked diligently on it (the drug-testing policy)," Roberts
said. "They're all very fine people and want what is best for the children
of Liberal."