REVISED DRUG POLICY LIKELY TO BE ACCEPTED BY SCHOOL EMPLOYEES

The president of the teacher's association told the school board
recently he is confident a revised drug and alcohol testing policy
is one educators can accept.

Dave Gustafson stopped short of promising to drop a demand that the
proposed drug testing policy become a negotiated issue in the master contract.

"The way it is right now, I'll do what I can to work it out," he
said. "I think we'll have this worked out before the next (school
board) meeting. I'm saying we'll do everything we can, okay?"

The most contentious part of the draft policy was removed by
district office administrators.

One provision that was opposed by district employees required drug
or alcohol testing whenever an accident occurred that led to a
worker's compensation claim being filed. Employees wanted
"reasonable suspicion" added to the requirement for testing.

That section no longer exists in the amended policy.

Now, instead of three conditions where testing would be required,
there are five:

After an accident resulting in property damage of $500 or more

Reasonable suspicion to believe the employee is using drugs or alcohol at work

During a pre-employment screening

During a probationary period

For vendor contract compliance

The amount of property damage in an accident was lowered from $1,000
in the original draft policy to $500 in the revised document.

E.C. Best Elementary School teacher Becky Dodd questioned whether her
vehicle could be searched while on school property under the proposed
policy. Dodd, who said she doesn't drink, said there could be a
situation where an employee has unopened alcohol in their vehicle to
take to a social event after school hours.

"If I have alcohol in my car and it's all sealed up I don't see why
that should be a regulation," she said.

Those details in the policy will be worked out in a regulation
document that outlines how the policy should be enforced.

"They probably can't search your vehicle but while on district
property you shouldn't have that stuff in your car," said Trustee
Preston Denney.

District administrators have been working on a drug and alcohol
testing policy for the past three months.

Finance Director Jim Sustacha told the board the policy was needed to
help control costs for worker's compensation insurance because claims
increased dramatically over the past few years.

The board is expected to vote on the amended policy Jan. 25.