SCHOOL DISTRICT RECEIVES DRUG TESTING GRANT

The Collier County School District will receive $209,662 for a drug
testing grant, making it the second-highest grant recipient in the
United States.

U.S. drug czar John Waters announced $8.6 million in grants
nationwide for random student drug testing programs during a visit
this afternoon to Barron Collier High School in North Naples. Florida
received three of the grants, the most for any state in the nation.

Joe Kemper, Barron Collier High School's athletic director, said the
drug testing could begin as early as this spring for student-athletes
but likely wouldn't start until 2007-08 school year.

Collier will conduct random student drug testing in seven high
schools with more than 3,000 student-athletes and cheerleaders as the
target population.

Grants were awarded based on strength of proposal and all schools
that applied had to demonstrate a need for such a grant.

Waters, whose full title is White House director of National Drug
Control Policy, said so many times communities apply for the grants
after it's too late, meaning, after a drug-related death of a young
person. Deputy Secretary of Education Ray Simon joined Waters at
today's news conference.

Waters said he sees Collier County as taking a positive step toward
drug prevention in the schools by applying for and receiving the grant.