DRUG TESTING UNDER REVIEW

Some Parents Call For An End Of The Testing; Board May Expand Types Of
Students Tested.

CHESTERTON -- An otherwise glowing report on the progress of the Duneland
School Corp.'s first year of student drug testing brought about a call from
several parents to end the program.

Jeanne Hayes, coordinator of the school district's Positive Life Program,
reported that 188 Chesterton High School students took random drug tests
during the 1999-2000 school year out of a pool of about 960 students
involved in athletics and other extracurricular activities.

Of these 188 urine samples, only five showed positive results, according to
the report.

"The students seemed to accept it ... and I had several parents call to
voluntarily have their children tested," Hayes said.

Students whose assigned numbers came up in the random, computer-generated
selection had the right to refuse to take the test, but only two did, Hayes
said.

The tests were for marijuana, nicotine and another cigarette byproducts
that indicates occasional smoking even when no traces of nicotine are left.
Four of these five tested positive for nicotine also, Superintendent H.
Stephen Hewlett said.

Three of these five were referred to anti-drug education offered through
the Positive Life Program, Hayes said.

The total cost of the drug testing was a little more than $6,600, Hewlett said.

Contrary to concerns expressed by several parents when the issue of student
drug testing was still hotly under debate, the report indicated no real
drop in the number of students involved in extracurricular activities.

"At this stage of the game, I haven't found enough of the downside
happening ... Some of these things they said would happen didn't
materialize," said Board President Michael Griffin, who had earlier been
concerned about the singling out of students involved in extracurricular
activities.

Based on the positive report, board member Michael Trout recommended that
the drug-testing program be continued during the upcoming academic year,
and possibly even be expanded to include students who drive to school. But
no vote was taken, because Hewlett suggested that the report be made
available for public review over the next few weeks. Copies will be on
display at the administration building.

Several parents, however, urged the board to stop the testing program.

"Children who've lived a good life may feel falsely accused," Bill Barkow said.

Alluding to the fact that marijuana can stay in a user's system for several
weeks, while traces of more dangerous drugs like heroin and cocaine can
disappear in a much shorter time, Barkow added: "I'm concerned that we may
push the kids into something more deadly, just because they're afraid
they'll fail the tests." Currently, the drug screen program does not test
for these harder drugs.

"I think most of the parents questioned the 'randomness.' The kids don't
think it was random," added Brenda Wallace.

Sue Franzen suggested that students taking the test be given an anonymous
survey to fill out afterwards, telling how they felt about the experience.

"Why not hear their perception ... whether or not they feel violated," she
said. "You are doing an injustice to kids who have done what they're told.
They feel like they're suspects."

The board expects to vote at the next meeting in September on whether to
continue the program.