WEST NOBLE SCHOOLS DRAFT DRUG-TEST POLICY

LIGONIER - West Noble School Corp. could have a drug testing policy in
place at the end of the month if board members approve a reasonable
suspicion testing policy at their next meeting.

Superintendent Bruce Hippensteel on Monday reviewed a draft of the policy
with board members.

The school corporation had a random testing policy ready in the fall, but
an August ruling by the Indiana Court of Appeals suspended that policy,
Hippensteel said.

The court threw out a random drug-testing policy in Kokomo.West Noble
suspended its own random testing policy and began exploring a policy that
would require the testing of any student, not just athletes, that school
officials suspected of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol,
Hippensteel said.

The board's attorney reviewed the policy and changed some language to give
school officials more flexibility in enforcing the policy.

Board members agreed Monday night not to eliminate elementary school
students from the policy.

Hippensteel told board members a final version will be ready for a vote Jan. 22.