DISTRICT GETS FEDERAL GRANT TO TEST STUDENT ATHLETES FOR DRUGS

Random Drug Testing Could Begin As Early As This Spring, District
Officials Said

Collier County Public Schools' student athletes are bright. They are
well-known. They are role models.

And as early as this spring, they will become the first students in
the school district to be randomly tested for drugs.

John Walters, the White House director of National Drug Policy, and
Deputy Secretary of Education Ray Simon visited Barron Collier High
School on Tuesday to announce $8.6 million in federal money for
student drug testing programs across the country.

Collier County received $209,662 for its drug testing program, the
second largest grant in the nation. The average grant awarded was
about $125,000, according to Walters. Florida is the only state in
the country to receive more than one federal grant for drug testing.
The state received three grants, including Collier's.

"This is a great day for the community. It is a credit to this
district that they did not have to wait for someone to die before
they became proactive," Walters said. "This does not start with
adults. This starts with people like you and people younger than you."

The Collier County School District will be testing student athletes
and cheerleaders with the money received from the drug grant. The
random urine tests could begin as early as the spring, but might not
happen until the start of the 2007-08 school year, said Joe Kemper,
Barron Collier High School's athletic director.

"This is not about catching kids. Our goal is to provide athletes
with another deterrent to drugs," he said. "This is just another
weapon in our arsenal. No one has said this is a silver bullet."

Students' urine will be tested for several drugs, including
marijuana, amphetamines, cocaine, opiates and PCP. Walters said other
drugs, including alcohol, are often too difficult to detect because
they do not stay in the body for a long period of time.

"We look at this as a public health screening to help reduce a
disease," Walters said.

The idea was presented to student athletes at Barron Collier on
Tuesday afternoon to mixed results.

"I think it's a good idea, but I think they should test everyone in
school and not just the athletes," said Olivia Cavileer, a
14-year-old freshman on the dance team.

Walters said the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that schools are within
their rights to test students in certain groups, like athletes.

Kemper said the athletes were chosen because they are role models.

"The athletes are not in one clique as some people might think. At
this school, the athletes are friends with kids in the band, in
academic clubs and other students. We want to create a culture of
disapproval in this community and this school and we hope it trickles
down," he said.

Simon said the athletes are some of the most visible students in the school.

"It is important to be a good role model," he said. "The opportunity
for you to make the wrong decision is far greater than it was (when I
started teaching) in 1966. Drugs, alcohol and tobacco are far more
glamorized than they were before. The fact is, it's not glamorous at all."

Senior Craig Zyburo said he doesn't believe this will be a deterrent.

"They are not testing the athletes for steroids. Kids who play sports
don't do anything else but steroids," said the 17-year-old lacrosse
player. "And if a student gets busted for drugs and is kicked off the
team, what is his incentive to stop doing drugs?"

Walters said the tests cost between $10 and $40 each, while steroid
tests cost $100 each.

"We have found performance enhancing substance abuse at this level is
very low," he said.

Walters told the students that, by law, a student's positive test
result will be kept confidential with the student and his or her
parents and the student will be referred to treatment.

"We want to keep the child in school while they are recovering from
their dependency. This is a decision by this community. You are
saying you will not lose anybody to this," he said.

Earlier this year, Dee Whinnery, the district's executive director of
student services, presented the Collier County School Board with the
results of a Florida Youth Substance Abuse survey, which was given to
students in grades six through 12. The survey found that more than 60
percent of Collier County students had used an illegal substance in
their lives, and more than 30 percent had used an illegal substance
within the past 30 days.

The survey determined that Collier County students were abusing
alcohol, followed closely by cigarettes and marijuana. The conclusion
of the survey determined that random drug testing could be a
deterrent to students.

Barron Collier High School Baseball Coach Ted Parsons said he
believes the tests are a step in the right direction.

"It's a huge problem at Barron Collier and at every high school in
America. Until we do something about it, it is going to get worse," he said.