News (Media Awareness Project) - US FL: School Board Postpones A Decision On Random Drug Testing Program |
| Title: | US FL: School Board Postpones A Decision On Random Drug Testing Program |
| Published On: | 2006-11-15 |
| Source: | St. Petersburg Times (FL) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-08-17 18:20:30 |
SCHOOL BOARD POSTPONES A DECISION ON RANDOM DRUG TESTING PROGRAM
BROOKSVILLE - A decision on random drug testing in the Hernando
County schools won't come until at least Dec. 12.
School Board members Tuesday weighed the pros and cons of accepting
$183,289 in federal funds to start a urine testing program for
student athletes.
But three board members said they were uncomfortable with the narrow
scope of the federal Department of Education program, and expressed
interest in a broader program of voluntary testing.
"A student is given, by law, the privacy not to be tested," said
board member John Druzbick, referring to Supreme Court rulings that
restrict mandatory testing to students in extracurricular activities.
"That student decides to expand their world by joining a sport or
activity, and all of a sudden their privacy goes away?"
Under the federal grant, Hernando would require 10 percent of high
school students involved in competitive extracurricular activities to
submit to random urine tests every month.
But federal money cannot be used to test students who drive cars to
school or those who volunteer for testing, as the district had
proposed, said Department of Education spokeswoman Casey Ruberg.
Janice Smith, director of Hernando's drug abuse prevention program,
said random testing gives students a chance to resist peer pressure,
a way to say "no" and blame the test. Board member Sandra Nicholson
said she supported testing on that basis.
And superintendent Wendy Tellone said the county needed to face facts
borne out in survey after survey: Its students have a drug problem.
"I have to say, as much as I admire a lot of the education we're
doing, it is not working," she added.
Chairman Jim Malcolm said he was convinced of the drug problem, but
had concerns about student privacy. And he wasn't prepared to rule
out drug education, asking for a report on current efforts at the
Dec. 12 meeting.
"I think we need to do everything we can to educate our students,
educate our parents," said board member Pat Fagan, who opposes random
testing.
BROOKSVILLE - A decision on random drug testing in the Hernando
County schools won't come until at least Dec. 12.
School Board members Tuesday weighed the pros and cons of accepting
$183,289 in federal funds to start a urine testing program for
student athletes.
But three board members said they were uncomfortable with the narrow
scope of the federal Department of Education program, and expressed
interest in a broader program of voluntary testing.
"A student is given, by law, the privacy not to be tested," said
board member John Druzbick, referring to Supreme Court rulings that
restrict mandatory testing to students in extracurricular activities.
"That student decides to expand their world by joining a sport or
activity, and all of a sudden their privacy goes away?"
Under the federal grant, Hernando would require 10 percent of high
school students involved in competitive extracurricular activities to
submit to random urine tests every month.
But federal money cannot be used to test students who drive cars to
school or those who volunteer for testing, as the district had
proposed, said Department of Education spokeswoman Casey Ruberg.
Janice Smith, director of Hernando's drug abuse prevention program,
said random testing gives students a chance to resist peer pressure,
a way to say "no" and blame the test. Board member Sandra Nicholson
said she supported testing on that basis.
And superintendent Wendy Tellone said the county needed to face facts
borne out in survey after survey: Its students have a drug problem.
"I have to say, as much as I admire a lot of the education we're
doing, it is not working," she added.
Chairman Jim Malcolm said he was convinced of the drug problem, but
had concerns about student privacy. And he wasn't prepared to rule
out drug education, asking for a report on current efforts at the
Dec. 12 meeting.
"I think we need to do everything we can to educate our students,
educate our parents," said board member Pat Fagan, who opposes random
testing.
Member Comments |
No member comments available...
