PORTER TOWNSHIP MOVES TOWARD RANDOM TESTING POLICY

PORTER TOWNSHIP -- Drug testing for township students driving to
school or taking part in extracurricular activities could be in place by fall.

Random, unannounced testing of perhaps 10 percent of eligible
students would occur several times a year, said Nick Brown, Porter
Township School Corp. superintendent.

Brown presented the testing policy and guidelines to the School Board
last week. The board will review the policy at its March and April meetings.

Students will be invited to buy into the concept, Brown said. In
exchange for the privilege to drive to school or to participate in
athletics or clubs, students would agree to the random testing.

Sampling randomly, Brown said, would offer students facing peer
pressure to try drugs the opportunity and a reason to say no. A
sports team member could turn down an offer of drugs by citing the
chance of being tested, he said.

The policy is not designed to be punitive, Brown said. If a test came
back positive, the student would lose a certain percentage of team,
club or driving privileges. Parents would be notified and
opportunities to gain help would be offered.

The district would attempt to keep the testing confidential, Brown
said. A student missing athletic time would not be an indicator of a
failed drug test, because students become ineligible for academic,
injury and behavioral reasons.

Such a policy would not assume that most students experiment with
drugs but would offer another layer of protection, Brown said. At the
same time, drug use among youth is a problem in every community, and
if testing were to save just one life, it would be worth it, he said.

Brown said the goal is to approve a testing policy by the end of this
school year so that students will know of it before the start of the
2007-2008 year.