SCHOOL CHIEF BACKS STUDENT DRUG TESTS

East Windsor Policy Given Praise As Lifesaver

EAST WINDSOR -- Ronald Bolandi, superintendent for the East Windsor
Regional School District, defended his district's use of student
drug tests yesterday.

The policy of testing students if teachers or administrators suspect
they might be under the influence of an illicit substance has been
in place for years, Bolandi said. And, he believes it
prevents student drug use.

"If we catch one kid and we save that kid's life, it's worth any
number of negative articles to save a life," Bolandi said.

An East Windsor mother had complained to The Times that her
13-year-old son was required to undergo a urine test. She said he ap
peared scared when an assistant principal at the Melvin H. Kreps
Middle School caught him in the hallway instead of a lunchroom in
December. That test turned out to be negative.

Bolandi said he apologized to Dorothy Raymond but declined to
discuss the specifics of the incident because of privacy concerns.

Student drug testing due to teacher suspicions has long been
accepted under state and national law, Bolandi said.

Teachers are with students for six or seven hours a day and often
catch things that parents might not notice, he said.

He was unsure how often the district tests students because of
suspicious behavior but said the testing is used starting in the sixth grade.

Middle-school students have the largest drug problem nationwide, he
said. And the problems can stem from substances like inhalants and
cough syrup, not only illegal drugs, he said.

"If any teacher or administrator feels a child is under the
influence of a substance, a child is sent to the nurse," Bolandi
said. "The nurse makes the decision to test. We ask the parent for a
drug test. A parent can take the child to their own physician. If
that doctor writes a letter, the child is back in school the
next day. If they grant us the permission to do it, we'll send them
to our clinic."

If the test is positive, the child can be suspended but also
referred for treatment, he said.

Many parents who did not realize their children had drug problems
before the school tests have thanked him for the intervention, he said.

And the testing is confidential. No record is kept if there is a
negative result, he said.

"The purpose is not to single anybody out," he said. "Most of the
time if we go for a test, it comes back positive. We don't take this
lightly. You really have to exhibit something that is different than
their normal behavior. If a kid might be falling asleep in class we
have to assume the worst."

After Dorothy Raymond came to him with her concerns, Bolandi said he
talked to the school board and discussed the policy. The board
agreed to keep the policy in place, he said.

"It's a preventative measure," Bolandi said. "I understand the
parent's concern. I don't want any kid to feel like we're labeling them."