DRUG-TESTING POLICY SET FOR LAKESIDE

A new drug testing policy will be in effect next school year at The
Lakeside School.

Parents were notified about the new policy last month. All students in
grades 6-12 will be tested at least once, though many students will be
randomly tested at least once more during the school year. Teachers
and board of trustee members will also be tested.

A parent meeting to discuss the new policy was held last Thursday
evening.

"Our goal is to continue to keep this campus safe," board chairperson
Janie King says.

In 2005 the board established a drug-testing committee to explore ways
to implement such a policy.

What committee members learned was that several Alabama private
schools such as St. James' in Montgomery and fellow Alabama
Independent Schools Association members Macon-East, Pike Liberal,
Glenwood, Crenshaw Christian and Abbeville Christian already have
drug-testing policies in place.

Drug testing will take place through a hair analysis where
approximately 60 strands of hair are "cosmetically cut" at the scalp
from the crown of the student's head. Those with insufficient head
hair can have it collected from the leg, arm or underarm. Trained
staff will perform the collection using full chain-of-command procedures.

The hair is then sent to the Psychemedics laboratory in California for
testing. The test can show if students have used cocaine, opiates,
marijuana, methamphetamine, PCP, OxyContin, MDEA (Eve or intellect)
and MDMA (ecstasy) within a 90-day period. Results will be available
to the headmaster or other certified Lakeside employee via secure
website within one week of receipt of the tests.

Bill Dausey, director of school testing for Psychemedics, says the
testing process is much more accurate and less embarrassing than urinalysis.

"There is no way this sample is going to get mixed up," Dausey says,
referring to extensive steps taken to separate each student's hair
sample. "The hair testing is very specific. When we say it tests
positive for methamphetamines, it is methamphetamine."

Dausey adds that when the hair is cut it is virtually
unnoticeable.

No legal action or criminal charges will be initiated on a student
should he or she test positive. On the first occasion the student's
caregivers will be notified and a conference will be held with them,
the student and the headmaster to discuss the results.

If a student tests positive a second time, the headmaster will refer
the student and the caregivers for a substance abuse evaluation
through an approved counselor or community agency. The headmaster will
require regular progress reports from the counselor on the student.

Students who test positive a third time will be dismissed from the
school.

All students in grades 6-12 will be tested once-likely at the
beginning of the school year. Approximately 25 percent of the students
will be randomly retested during the year. Transfer students will also
be tested within two weeks of their admittance. Any transfer student
testing positive will be dismissed immediately.

The testing cost will be included in tuition rates.

Macon-East headmaster Jim Arrington, who was principal at St. James'
when the school started its drug-testing policy, predicts the
drug-testing policy will positively impact Lakeside.

"When we started drug testing our applications for the lower school
and upper school went up," he says. "We've found our program is
effective...I believe in it because I have seen what it has done at
other schools, and I have seen what it has done at our school."

When asked about what percentage of students at Macon-East or St.
James' have tested positive Arrington refused to comment.

"I cannot give you that information because it is confidential," he
says.

Arrington adds a drug-testing policy is needed in today's environment
and serves as a deterrent for students.

"It gives that child a 'Red Badge of Courage.' It gives them an out,"
he says.