SCHOOL OFFICIALS EYE DRUG TESTS

Most Kanawha County school board members say random drug testing of
teachers and principals should be considered in the wake of an
arrest of a grade-school principal on cocaine possession charges.

"Under the circumstances, maybe the time is right for us to have a
random drug testing program," said Jim Crawford, board president.

Pratt Elementary School Principal David Anderson, 42, was arrested
outside Washington Manor at about 3:20 a.m. Saturday by Charleston police.

Board member Bill Raglin said he supports random drug testing for
teachers and principals.

"I think the time has come to consider the merits of a drug testing
program," he said. "Obviously, there are a lot of concerns with
regard to privacy and all, but there is an equal amount of concerns
that I have towards safety and security, as far as children are
concerned. It's time to initiate that dialogue."

Board member Pete Thaw agreed.

"I'm deeply concerned about this matter," Thaw said. "Something
needs to be done, and it looks like most of us agree on that."

Thaw voted against Anderson's appointment as principal. He said he
considered Anderson to be "a poor fit" for the elementary school.

Representatives from the state's two largest teacher unions -- the
American Federation of Teachers and West Virginia Education
Association -- strongly oppose random drug testing for teachers and
principals.

"It's an invasion of privacy," said Charles Delauder, WVEA
president. "They need to have a probable cause first, before they go
out and do something like that."

Judy Hale, president of AFT-WV, agreed.

"I am against random drug testing," Hale said, also citing privacy concerns.

Both Hale and Delauder said there aren't enough incidents to warrant
random testing.

"I don't think the cost is warranted. It's such a small percentage
of people. It's something that would show up in their attendance,
their work first," Delauder said.

Plus, the random drug tests aren't cheap, he said.

County school boards most likely would have to foot the bill --
something many could not afford, Delauder said. But school board
members say student safety is a bigger concern.

"Right now, there's a lot of concern and discussion as far as safety
goes. But I don't see how we can have a legitimate conversation about
school safety without talking about the impact drugs are having on
that issue," Raglin said.

Piedmont Elementary School Principal Steve Knighton agreed.

"It's all about safety, and I think something like this implies your
school is not as safe as it could be," Knighton said.

Knighton said he's not against having random drug testing at his school.

Currently, the state Department of Education does not require drug
tests for teachers or administrators, but background checks are mandatory.

"Any time someone applies for a teaching certification, we do a
background check looking for any felonies or any other issues," said
Liza Cordeiro, spokeswoman for the department. "But we don't do any
specific type of drug testing."

Drug tests are given to school bus drivers when they are first hired, she said.

However, if school officials have suspicions, they are within their
rights to give a bus driver a drug test during his or her employment.

"Given the nature of their job and that they have to drive and
operate a piece of heavy machinery, it's understandable," Cordeiro said.

Cordeiro said Anderson's case would fall under the state department's
code of conduct.

Under that code, a county superintendent is required to report such
incidents to state education officials. The state's Commission on
Professional Teaching Standards then reviews the case and makes a
recommendation, deciding if the person's license should be suspended
or revoked.

School board members held an executive session meeting Monday night
to discuss Anderson's arrest.

Thaw, who typically refuses to attend secret meetings, made an
exception Monday.

"I went because I'm really concerned about this. This is very
serious," he said. "I wanted to be there for the people."