SCHOOL BOARD REJECTS DRUG TEST GRANT

INVERNESS - The School Board just said no.

It said no Tuesday to a four-year federal grant that would have paid
for random drug testing of some high school athletes. It said no to a
national study that would have let the federal government evaluate
drug use among Citrus students.

And, for the first time, a majority said no to the idea of testing
athletes - no matter how such testing was funded.

Three of the five board members said the board will overstep its
authority if it required students to submit to random drug tests as a
condition to play sports.

"Just because we can, it doesn't mean we should," said board member
Pat Deutschman. "We're reaching into peoples' homes and reaching into
kids' lives outside of school. If we could do that, I would put a
device in every kid's car to keep them from speeding, and I would
make sure they all have condoms in their bedrooms."

The board did not hold an official vote to abandon the policy, but
superintendent Sandra "Sam" Himmel said she took the majority's
dissent during Tuesday's workshop to mean that she should pursue
other options.

"I just think (a random drug testing program for athletes) was a good
way to be proactive with a consequence," Himmel said. "It was not the
cure-all. It was just one more resource."

The board's decision came a day after Himmel announced her
displeasure with the conditions attached to a federal grant that
would pay for the testing.

It also followed months of community debate over the legality and
appropriateness of the program. At an emotional forum, some parents
called the testing intrusive and a waste of taxpayers' dollars, while
supporters said it would discourage drug use, particularly among
students who are easily susceptible to peer pressure.

On Tuesday, the board swiftly agreed to turn down $317,000 from the
federal Department of Education. Members said they were not
comfortable with letting Citrus high schoolers participate in a
national study that would evaluate the effectiveness of drug testing.

The study called for surveying drug use at all three county high
schools and would not have guaranteed the students' anonymity,
officials said.

Once a survey had been taken, the district would have had to agree to
test 50 percent of athletes at two high schools. Himmel wanted to
randomly test 25 percent at all three high schools.

Deutschman seemed annoyed that the district applied for a grant
before getting the board's advice.

"It would have saved everyone a lot of time and energy and angst if
we knew this is what (the federal government) wanted to do," she
said. Next time, "we better make sure that we are in agreement before
we fly to Washington, D.C., have a big public meeting and invest all
kinds of energy on this."

When the board moved to discuss whether it wanted to pursue drug
testing in general, Deutschman and fellow board members Lou Miele and
later Ginger Bryant said they wouldn't support it.

"My main objection is that we're the school system, not the police
department," Deutschman said.

Miele said he hadn't found any evidence showing that drug testing
discourages students from using drugs or alcohol.

"I spent many hours on the Internet to find something that tells me
drug testing of athletes is effective, and it's not there," he said.
"There has to be better ways to curb drug use in our schools."

Board member Linda Powers supports any program that helps keep kids
away from drugs, she said, but she needs to see more research that
drug testing works.

Bill Murray was the sole board member who sharply argued in support
of drug testing, saying it would even the playing field for athletes
and improve the cohesiveness of sports teams.