PANEL STUDIES STUDENT DRUG TESTS

Cumberland County schools might start randomly testing athletes and
students involved in some extracurricular activities.

The Board of Education's policy committee is scheduled to discuss a
random drug testing program today.

The committee does not have the final say on whether the program goes
forward. It can only make recommendations to the full Board of
Education, which is scheduled to meet on Dec.12.

Administrators say drug tests would deter youngsters from using drugs
and give them a response to peer pressure.

"I can envision an athlete saying they won't take a drug because they
don't want to get kicked off a team," said Kathy Dickson, the
associate superintendent for administrative services.

The proposed policy would require students and parents to sign a drug
test consent form before students could join any competitive
extracurricular activity.

Only athletes and students involved in competitive extracurricular
activities - such as marching bands or debate teams - would be subject
to the tests. Members of noncompetitive clubs would not be tested.

A computer program would randomly pick half of the eligible students
for a urine test. An outside company would collect the samples.

Students could be tested multiple times throughout the year, even
during their activity's off-season. Refusal to take the test would be
treated as a positive result.

For the first violation, students would receive a two-competition
suspension and be sent to counseling. A second positive result would
result in a suspension from extracurricular activities for a year,
along with counseling. A third violation would result in a permanent
ban from extracurricular activities.

There is no academic penalty for a positive result.

Students would be allowed to appeal their suspensions to the
superintendent. They could appeal the superintendent's decision to the
Board of Education.

The school system considered testing student athletes in 2003, but the
policy was never approved because of questions about whether it was
needed and how much it would cost.

This drug testing program would be paid for by a four-year, $1.2
million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Dickson said.

Random drug testing is a growing practice in public school systems,
said William Modzeleski, the associate assistant deputy secretary in
the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Safe and Drug Free schools.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1995 that drug tests for athletes were
acceptable. In 2002, the court said the tests could include students
in competitive extracurricular activities.

But the policies have been criticized by the American Civil Liberties
Union and the Association for Addiction Professionals, among other
groups.

The American Academy of Pediatrics issued a statement in September
saying that involuntary drug tests should be done "only if there are
strong medical or legal reasons to do so."

The Department of Education is studying whether the tests are
effective, Modzeleski said. But early data show that drug tests have a
greater impact when schools also educate students about drug use,
create prevention services and get parents involved.

"You can't do drug testing in a vacuum," Modzeleski
said.

The policy committee will meet at 9 a.m. in the school board's meeting
room, 2465 Gillespie Street.