DUG TESTING CONSIDERED AT SOUTH

Officials Are Holding Discussions With the Public About Random Drug
Testing of Student Athletes, Those Who Drive to School, Park on
Campus or Leave the Campus for Senior Privileges.

WEST AMWELL -- Not all parents want to begin random drug testing of
students at South Hunterdon Regional High School, but many of the
approximately 30 who attended a discussion last week expressed interest.

"Our concerns here are related to alcohol and marijuana,"
Superintendent Lisa Brady said. "Here and nationally, they are the
most prevalent in terms of use."

The percentages of South Hunterdon juniors and seniors who have used
alcohol and marijuana in the last 12 months are higher than the
national percentage, according to a recent survey. At South, 83
percent of 11th- and 12th-graders have used alcohol, compared to 69
percent nationally. Fifty-six percent of 11th- and 12th-graders have
used marijuana, compared to 34 percent nationally.

"The worst thing that can happen to you isn't finding out your kid's
on drugs," Ms. Brady said. "The worst thing that'll ever happen to
you is that you don't find out."

South has not instituted a random drug-testing program yet, but
officials are holding discussions within the community about the possibility.

When Ms. Brady was principal of Hunterdon Central Regional High
School in Raritan Township, the district began random drug testing in
1997 of athletes. Random drug testing began of all students involved
in an activity in 2000.

A panel of educators from surrounding school districts where random
drug testing already is in use, including Hunterdon Central, was
invited to answer parents' questions Nov. 28 in the school's cafeteria.

All of the panel's participants favored random testing, and parent
John Franzini of Lambertville found that "distressing."

He said, "There ought to be another side to this issue. What concerns
me is it's a one-sided dialogue."

Mr. Franzini said he is "very much opposed" to random testing.

"There isn't any dispute it needs to be dealt with," he said of drug
abuse. However, "My issue is you need to deal with it in a positive
way. I think you're sending the wrong message. Give them
responsibility to learn responsibility."

Also, he said he believes random testing is against students'
constitutional rights.

But if it came down to either signing a release that would allow his
children to be tested so they could participate in extracurricular
activities or not signing, Mr. Franzini said he knew what he'd have to choose.

"If I refuse to sign that paper, he doesn't get to participate," he
said of his son. "I'm not going to do that to my child. I'm not going
to break his heart. That's why I'm here now. This is where I think
this battle has to be fought."

Parent Dana Kurtbek of Lambertville said she is "not 100 percent
convinced, but I'm leaning toward it" because the specter of random
testing would be an antidote to peer pressure.

"It will be a huge sense of relief," she said. "They'll get to say,
'I can't, I might get tested.' When they were little, they could say,
'My mom and dad won't let me.'"

Parent Dean Stephens of Lambertville also would support random testing.

"To me, it's not so much a legal issue," he said. "To me, it's an
issue about keeping the good kids good. I don't think either one of
my kids would have a second thought about going down and peeing in a cup."

Testing would not apply to the entire student body. Only students
involved in clubs, sports or activities would be entered into the
"testing pool."

Also subject to testing would be any student who drives to school,
parks on campus or leaves campus for senior privileges.

At South Hunterdon, that could mean a testing pool of 300 students
out of a student body of about 350, Ms. Brady said.

From the testing pool, about 20 percent actually would be tested in
a school year.

The tests would be conducted by "trained school personnel," according
to the pamphlet distributed by the district; most likely the school
nurse and the student assistance counselor. A positive test would be
confirmed by a second test performed by an independent lab. Positive
results would be forwarded to the school's student assistance
counselor as well as parents or guardians. Results would be confidential.

Law enforcement would not be notified, and no punitive consequences
would result, according to an explanatory pamphlet given out by the district.

A student who tests positive would be referred with his parents for a
meeting with the counselor. Involvement in any school activity would
be temporarily suspended.

"If you're running a good deterrent program, you should not have a
lot of positive tests," Ms. Brady said.