DRUG POLICY IS ALL RIGHT AS IS

PETE Thaw is the voice of dissent on the Kanawha County Board of
Education as it considers expanding its random drug testing program
to include 3,700 of its employees -- all but top administrators and
school board members.

Thaw asked why the schools will test everyone except those at the top.

But the real question is why should the board expand the testing
beyond bus drivers and mechanics?

The proposal is to test all workers in "safety sensitive" jobs. At
the board's request, school officials came up with a list that
includes principals, assistant principals, guidance counselors,
teachers, mechanics, carpenters, cooks, custodians, electricians,
locksmiths, etc.

Testing that many employees would be an overreaction to the arrest of
one school principal for possession of cocaine.

This is the kind of zero-tolerance nonsense that can lead to
bureaucratic nightmares and a big expense for very little return.

The school board now screens its 250 bus drivers and mechanics at a
cost of $12,600 a year. Screening everyone except top administrators
would cost $200,000. That would be a waste of time and money.

The school system has a good policy. The board should leave it alone.