PARADISE SCHOOL TRUSTEES GIVE NOD TO RANDOM DRUG TESTING

Students at Paradise High School who participate in any extracurricular
activities will be subject to random drug tests this academic year, thanks
to a new policy approved by the board of trustees for Paradise Unified
School District.

The board debated the details of the pilot policy at a special meeting
Thursday, but finally passed it unanimously.

Certain points of the policy caused consternation and contention among
board members, and several amendments were made before a consensus was reached.

Trustee Donna Nichols insisted the policy should not be punitive, but said,
"The whole purpose is health and safety."

She expressed concern that students could opt out of an assistance program
on a first offense and that the policy wasn't entirely equitable for
students who tested positive for marijuana.

"Do we want to get these kids help or do we want to be punitive?" she asked.

"It can be punitive," replied Trustee Robert DiPietro.

Board President Gary Manwill added, "You guys are trying to protect kids
who are making poor choices."

All board members agreed some form of drug-testing program needed to be
implemented, but struggled with the consequences of a positive test.

Nichols also said she was worried about the safety of letting students who
may be using drugs participate in sports practice.

Paradise High Principal Mike Lerch told the board he thought the idea was
to keep kids who tested positive active and in a six-week assistance
program, "under a microscope S and in our grasp."

The policy allows students after a first offense to participate in
activities after a clear drug test and if they attend a six-week prevention
program. With second and third offenses, the consequences become more severe.

The board intends it to be a one-year pilot program to help combat the
admitted drug problem among Paradise students. That was evidenced by the 75
Paradise High students who were suspended for drug use during the 2004-05
school year.

Although the district has not contracted with a specific laboratory yet,
Superintendent Steve Jennings said Quest Diagnostics supplied information
about drug testing options. The oral fluid collection, which the board
approved, tests for six possible drugs - amphetamines, opiates,
phencyclidine, methamphetamines, benzoylecgonine and marijuana metabolites.

The cost to the district will include a $500 contract fee and about $28 per
test, but the board had yet to decide what percent of the student pool will
be tested. Most test costs would be paid by the district.

The board had planned to address the issue at its July 19 meeting, but
tabled it instead because legal counsel for the district had not had a
chance to review the written policy.

Originally, the policy was written to implement a pilot program testing
only the students who were involved in sports at the school. It was
rewritten, however, to include students in all extracurricular activities.
Some parents had said the tests would unfairly single out athletes, while
others felt that widening the pool would benefit more students.