TEMPLETON MAY CHANGE DRUG-TESTING POLICY

Officials at Templeton Unified School District are considering a change in
the policy for drug-testing student athletes that would conceal the actual
dates of the tests.

The board is scheduled to consider a proposal today (July 27) that would
change the test date from the day before the first day of practice to
sometime during the week before the first practice. The change would make
it more difficult for students to falsify the test.

Currently, Templeton student athletes are tested before the first practice
but are not randomly tested throughout the season. If a test comes up
positive for drug use, the student must stop practicing and playing until a
second verification test is taken. If the second test is positive, the
athlete can continue practicing but would be subject to biweekly retesting
and would be forced to sit out half the remaining games of the season or
more, until the tests come back negative.

Templeton is the second SLO County district to institute drug tests for
student athletes. Shandon was the first in 1998. Paso Robles Unified School
District is the only other in the county that has considered instituting
the test.