DRUG POLICY APPROVED BY BOARD

The Atkins School Board Tuesday night approved the Chemical Screen Test
Policy for Atkins Schools presented to the board at the December board
meeting. The policy adoption passed on a 4-1 vote with board president
Charles Henry voting against it.

After the meeting Henry explained his objections to the policy: "I feel
that 100% of the students should be part of the random testing pool along
with the entire school staff, both certified and non-certified, and all
school board members." The way the policy is written, Henry says, probably
30% of students who neither drive to the campus nor participate in
extracurricular activities will not be part of the testing pool. Henry also
has questions about the legality of certain items in the policy, he said.
He said the policy does not specifically name what chemicals will be tested
for, does not state who will do the testing, and does not specify when the
policy should take effect.

Superintendent Al Davidson said, "We will see how fast we can get this
together. I don't know how fast we can do it." He said it may be possible
to begin testing this semester.

Board member Gary Simmons asked, "How would the random list of students be
pulled?" Board member Robert Hearne, who with board member Bobby Fletcher
drafted the policy, said he thinks the company hired to do the testing will
also randomly select the students to be tested.

Simmons said, "I think we should review this policy every year to
re-evaluate it." (The policy was described in more detail in the Dec. 13
edition of The Chronicle.) Henry told the board that the bus garage has a
doorway too low so that eight of the new buses cannot be serviced indoors.
Other buses must have their tire pressure reduced in order to fit through
the doorway. Henry suggested the board consider building a new bus garage,
possibly with pits in the bays.

Davidson told the board that the balance of money at the beginning of the
year was $1,305,298.19 in the operating fund and $90,862.92 in the capital
outlay fund.

All members of the board were present, including Charles Henry, president,
Bobby Cowen, Gary Simmons, Bobby Fletcher and Robert Hearne.