FP SCHOOL BOARD MULLS DRUG TESTING PROPOSAL

FORT PLAIN -- Members of the Fort Plain School Board last week
engaged in a discussion about voluntary student drug testing.
Additionally, they received input from a group of concerned
individuals who are rallying support for legislation requiring all
schools in the state to have mandated student drug testing.

The meeting took place Wednesday night in the Harry Hoag School
conference room.

District Superintendent Douglas Burton late last week said about
that exchange, "At this point, the board had more follow-up
discussion from [Amsterdam Pediatrician Dr. Govind Rao] and [the
Rev. Nancy Ryan, pastor of the Fort Plain Reformed Church]. They
asked that I do some research and investigate to get more
information about the need and various means by which different
districts are addressing the issue; then we'll go from there."

He continued, "It could be a long process. We're not anywhere near
establishing a policy."

In mid-December, Burton said the board was asked to support an
effort to have some type of law or regulation passed by the state
Legislature that would require all schools in the state to have
mandatory drug testing for middle and high school students.

It was a presentation to which members of the Greater Amsterdam
School District Board of Education also were called to respond.

As noted in the Oct. 25 Recorder, the mandatory program proposed by
Rao and other community members -- including Ryan, former Montgomery
County Social Services Commissioner Robert Reidy, the Rev. Brian
List, local attorney Alex Isabel, Amsterdam Alderman Jim Nicosia,
Tina Bielawa and retired Judge James White -- would see only the
parents of a child notified if he or she tested positive for drugs.
The community members focused on the idea that drug addition is a
health concern and not a criminal matter, thus law
enforcement would not be notified of positive test results --
and positive results would not be used for any punitive measures,
such as suspension from school.

In the late 1990s, with the assistance of Rao and others, the
Greater Amsterdam School District began a voluntary drug testing
program at the Wilbur H. Lynch Middle School. While the program
stopped for a while, it was brought back last year so students and
parents are able to volunteer for random drug testing. Both
the students and the parents are required to volunteer.

In November, GASD school board members threw their full support
behind the legislation proposed by the group.

Also during the Jan. 3 meeting, Burton said Lance Elliott, district
science coordinator, gave a presentation that was "done through new
software and technology that's being used in classes."

He noted that instructional materials can appear on DVD's so those
using the technology can go through lessons. He said, "It allows for
self-prescribed lessons and is being used for in-service [training]
for teachers -- for example, to learn more about Excel software --
and it can be used for students with home instructors. That's in
case a student broke both legs and was incapacitated, for example.
They are prepared instructional materials."

Burton said, "A lot of that went on with VCR tapes. This is new
technology that makes it easier."

Finally head bus driver Gordon Eggleston presented a transportation
report in which he said he has seen significant reductions in
overall transportation costs, Burton said. Parts costs, in
particular, are down.

"It's all directly related to our five-year purchase policy," Burton said.

As noted in a March 2005 article in The Recorder, that policy
concerns a five-year replacement schedule for all district vehicles.

Some time in the past, the board determined a five-year turnaround
for aging vehicles was the most cost-effective means by which to
maintain a safe vehicle fleet, reduce repair costs, maximize vehicle
trade-in values and, ultimately, reduce vehicle expenses.

Burton on Friday said that if district voters in May approve the
release of funds, "the next [bus] purchases we make will take us
into our first year of guaranteed buyback by the company. That would
complete the first of our five-year rotational purchase cycle."

He continued, "We'll just now be realizing the benefits of that
program. It takes a few years to reach the rotation. We're just
doing that. In the meantime, any buses we feel we don't need, we put
them out to bid; but typically only the best bring back $6,000
or $7,000. With the trade-back, when we get into this program,
we'll be looking at three or four times that [amount], which will
allow us to reduce our expenditures overall."

Burton said in the first year of the program, the district purchased
one large and one small bus; consequently, that's what can be traded
back. "A year from now, we'll have three buses; a year after that,
three more," he said.

While the buyback offer is available to the district, Burton said
board President David Fredericks would also like to see the district
advertise for bids on the buses. "But if they don't meet the value
of the buyback, we'll go with the buyback agreement," Burton said.