CATHOLIC HIGH TO TEST FOR DRUGS

Another Montgomery private school has decided to begin drug testing in an
effort to provide students with a reason to avoid drugs.

Members of the Parent-Teacher Council for The Montgomery Catholic
Preparatory School's high school campus committed themselves Monday to
adopting a mandatory drug-testing policy that will go into effect in the
2004-2005 school year.

A final vote on a finalized policy will come in the spring.

St. James School and Macon-East Montgomery Academy implemented similar
policies this school year. Leaders at Trinity Presbyterian School are
examining drug testing, but have no immediate plans to implement such a policy.

David Barranco, the president of the school's Parent-Teacher Council and a
parent of two students at the school, said the nine-member group did not
vote on a drug-testing policy Monday, but agreed that drug testing, in some
form, is something the group would like to see implemented in school policy
soon.

"I think anything we can do to help prevent any drug use among our student
body is a good thing," Barranco said.

School Principal Doug Jones said the council has been considering a drug
policy for more than a year, but has been taking plenty of time to gather
information.

"We know there are drug problems in schools nationwide, and it would be
silly for us to think we don't have drug problems in our school," he said.
"We are not doing this to have a reason to catch kids, but to give them a
reason to say 'no.'"

Catholic High student Jenna Golson, 16, said she thinks the policy is a
good move for the school and students, some of whom she said do use drugs.

"I think the policy is a good idea because it would help eliminate some of
the school's problems," she said. "A lot of people in our school think it
is cool to do drugs and when the so-called popular group does it, it
influences the other kids to do it."

The school drug-testing movement in Alabama appears to be only among
private schools -- the Hartselle City School System in Morgan County is the
only public school system that tests students for drugs, said Tom Salter,
communications manager with the Alabama Department of Education. Whether a
school requires drug-testing of faculty or students is not information the
department records, Salter said.

Don Oswald, executive director of the Alabama Independent School
Association said three member schools, Lee-Scott Academy in Auburn, Wilcox
Academy and Lowndes Academy require similar tests. The association has 65
member private schools.

Brian Willett, the headmaster of Trinity Presbyterian School, said a school
committee is considering drug-testing, but there are no immediate plans to
implement a policy.

Willett said no one incident spurred the formation of the committee, just a
general concern for students' welfare.

"Any school administrator who thinks there are no problems with drugs
whatsoever is being a bit naive," he said. "I think this is just one of
those issues that all schools are facing, and we need to decide if this is
an appropriate time to evaluate a policy."

Leaders at St. James School and Macon-East Montgomery Academy said measures
were put in place to test students not because drugs are rampant in the
schools, but because one child using drugs is too many.

Jones agreed.

"I think that anything we can do as a school community to help turn our
kids away from drugs is worth looking at," he said.

Barranco said the council came to a consensus Monday that mandatory, random
drug testing using hair samples was the way to go. Specifics of how often
to test and how many students to test are still unclear, Barranco said.

Jones said the policy will not be extended to the faculty because of cost
and redundancy.

"The faculty have been fingerprinted and have had background checks, they
signed onto the archdiocese' drug and alcohol policy and they have
undergone child protection training through the archdiocese," he said.

Each test will cost $45 and Jones said tuition will be adjusted to account
for the extra expense.

Father Charles Troncale, the pastor of Holy Spirit Catholic Church and the
priest representative on the board that oversees the Montgomery Catholic
Preparatory School, said the need for student drug testing is biblical.

"This can be found in the rubric of the Fifth Commandment, 'Thou shalt not
kill,' which implies we must do what is reasonable to take care of our
health and we should not do anything that will abuse our bodies," he said.