DISTRICT HOSTS FORUM ON RANDOM DRUG TESTING POLICY

The Jasper Independent School District Board of Trustees hosted an
open form Tuesday, May 27, to present information and answer questions
about the proposed random drug testing policy to be implemented this
coming school year.

The policy will require random drug testing of students in grades 7-12
who participate in school sponsored extracurricular activities plus
students issued an on-campus parking permit. Affected students will be
tested for the presence of legal and illegal drugs and alcohol at the
beginning of the season in which he or she participates. In addition,
students shall be randomly tested throughout the school year on as
many as 18 dates.

"We didn't develop this policy as a 'Gotcha'," Superintendent Bill
Dean said. "We did it to give students a chance to say no to drugs.
The program is not designed for disciplinary action or penalties in
academics, for example, and it involves counseling."

While the policy does not employ disciplinary action, it does have
consequences. Students who test positive for drug use lose their
eligibility to participate in extracurricular activities for a period
of time. In that respect, it works like the current No Pass-No Play
rule in U.I.L. activities.

"The policy won't affect just sports," Dean said. "It is for all
school sponsored extracurricular activities like band and choir, for
example."

The policy also allows for drug and alcohol testing upon parent
request. A parent whose minor child is not subject to mandatory
testing for school-sponsored activities or parking permits may
register that student for the program.

"One of our purposes is to provide a drug-free educational environment
and we feel this is a help to parents who are concerned about drug
use," Dean said. "They can enroll their minor children at absolutely
no cost to them."

Chris Coleman, who presented the draft policy, echoed the words of
Superintendent Dean as he explained the various features of the policy.

"We aren't trying to catch anyone doing anything and there will not be
disciplinary action on a positive result. It will only be used for
eligibility," Coleman said. "It is done in a random way and there is
complete confidentiality."

Participants' names will go in a database and the testing company will
use a computer to randomly select students to be tested. Once a
student is tested, his name returns to the prospective pool so it is
possible that a student could be selected more than once.

The policy states that drug test results will be confidential and will
be disclosed only to the student, student's parents and designated
district officials who need the information in order to administer the
program. The tests will not be maintained with a student's academic
record.

In the case of an initial positive test, the company will do a second
test on the same urine sample before reporting it as a positive test
to the student or parents. In case of a second positive result, the
student or parent will have five school days to provide the company
with a medical explanation for the result. If the medical explanation
is acceptable, no further action will be taken.

"The student and parents will know before we do," Coleman said. "We
won't be notified until there is a second positive test of the same
specimen."

Coleman explained that the system would work in the same manner that
the U.I.L. steroid testing is done.

"We were selected this year as a U.I.L. test site for the use of
anabolic steroids," Coleman said. "We gave them a list of the 290
students in athletics and then they picked 30 students, 15 girls and
15 boys. We did not know who would be tested. My son was on the list.
The drug testing company picks the students, we don't."

The policy also states that a certified drug-testing laboratory will
be used.

"We will use Pinnacle, the company that we have used to test bus
drivers for the past 14 years," Dean said. "We chose this company
because we already know how they work, and we know about their
reliability. We never know when nor how often they will test our
drivers. For example, they may contact us shortly prior to a Friday
afternoon test and then show up again Monday morning and do it again.
It is completely random."

When positive results are reported, JISD will conduct a meeting with
the student and parents or guardians if the student is under age 18
and the coach or sponsor of the extracurricular activity to discuss
consequences.

Consequences of positive test results will be cumulative through the
student's enrollment in junior high and will begin anew for high school.

The first offense penalty is suspension from any extracurricular
activity for 15 days. Parking permit will also be suspended for 15
days. The student must be retested at the end of the suspension period.

Counseling is also a component of the program and the student must
attend at least one drug awareness meeting at an appropriately
certified facility recommended by the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council
in Lufkin.

Coleman explained that only services recommended by ADAC might be
used.

"We want to ensure that students get quality counseling," he said. "We
want to make sure that a child isn't going to see some 'counselor' who
has a diploma from some place that is not legitimate. We also chose
this agency because they have some free counseling available."

A second offense will result in a 30-day suspension of activities and
the same for a parking permit. The student will also be required to
attend at least two-drug awareness counseling meetings at an
appropriately certified facility.

In order to return to extracurricular activity participation, students
must be retested at the end of the suspension period and that student
will be retested during the next 180 days on random test dates.

A third offense will suspend the student from any extracurricular
activity for one calendar year. Reentry into extracurricular
activities will also require retesting.

If a student does not complete suspension by the end of a semester, he
or she will complete it the following semester.

A fourth positive test will result in permanent suspension from
extracurricular activities.

"We don't want a student to be through after three times," Coleman
said. "For example, a freshman with three positive tests and he can't
participate for the remainder of high school."

The district will also provide each parent and student a copy of the
drug-testing policy and consent form prior to the student's
participation in an affected activity. Students under the age of 18
require signature of parent or guardian. If appropriate consent is not
given, the student shall not be allowed to participate in
extracurricular activities.

The policy also covers refusal to test or tampering with a test. A
student who does either will not be allowed to participate in
extracurricular activities.

Asked why the proposed policy singles out students who participate
rather than the entire student body, Dean and Coleman explained that
it would violate State law.

"By law you cannot mandate this for an entire school," Dean said. "You
can't tell a student he can't come to school. It also comes down to
money. These tests aren't free. We are doing what we can afford."

Board President Kevin Kipp also added that there would be no
consequences for students who don't participate in extracurricular
activities; therefore, it would not be effective.

Coleman explained that the proposed policy would cover about half of
the student population in grades 7-12.

"With 600 tests given in a school year, that covers about half of the
students," he said. "That doesn't mean that 600 different students
will be tested because it is completely random and one student could
be tested more than once, but it does have the potential of covering
about 50 percent."

Even though the consequences for positive drug tests only mean
suspension from activities, the policy does not circumvent nor provide
a loophole for those who violate the law or local policy. Students who
buy, sell, or use drugs on campus are still subject to disciplinary
action.

The proposed drug test policy states that nothing in the policy shall
limit or affect the application of state law, local policy or the
Student Code of Conduct. A student who commits a disciplinary offense
shall be subject to consequences in accordance with the Student Code
of Conduct.

Of the approximately 30 persons who attended the forum, there was no
opposition to the proposed policy. About half of the audience
consisted of committee members who worked on the policy. The committee
was composed of parents, students, school personnel and people from
the community.

Coleman summed up the effect that the district hopes to achieve by
offering drug testing to both students who participate in school
sponsored extracurricular activities as well as allowing parents to
enroll their children in the program.

"Sometimes parents feel helpless and we want to give them some help,"
he said. "This policy will also help students deal with peer pressure.
When pressured to do drugs, they will be able to say, 'I can't do that.'"

The entire draft policy is on the JISD web site at jasperisd.net, and
the public still has time to submit written comments. June 9 is the
target date for school board approval.