N. BALTIMORE ASKS FOR INPUT ON DRUG TESTS

NORTH BALTIMORE - With one year of a student drug testing policy under
its belt, the North Baltimore Local School district wants parents to
tell them how to improve that policy.

Superintendent Rick Van Mooy has invited residents of the southern
Wood County district to meet with him at 8:30 tonight in the community
room of North Baltimore Public Library.

Just one topic is on the agenda: How the drug, alcohol, and tobacco
policy should be administered next year.

"From the get-go, I said this is a trial run," Mr. Van Mooy said. "I
think in all fairness I need to sit down and listen to people."

While several school districts in northwest Ohio require students to
pass urinalysis tests in order to be eligible to participate in
athletics, North Baltimore may be the only one that requires students
in grades 7-12 who are involved in any extracurricular activity to be
tested. That includes student council, the National Honor Society,
musicals, and academic clubs.

Board members felt athletes should not be singled out, because all
after-school activities were a privilege.

Last fall, some residents became upset about the policy, which some
felt was implemented without enough input from the public.

The school board delayed the fall drug tests until after its September
meeting where residents queried the board about everything from the
legality of the policy to the confidentiality of test results. With
some minor changes, the policy was implemented soon after.

Mr. Van Mooy said he did not expect a new round of "fireworks"
tonight.

"My intention here is to seek guidance on how to make this better," he
said. "It is not designed to antagonize people."

One change under consideration is to test students only at the
beginning of the first season they are involved in an activity, not
every season after that.

Some students, for example, were tested in fall, winter, and spring
because their activities took place in each of those seasons.

"That is a very valid point," Mr. Van Mooy said. "It would
inconvenience kids less and save us some money."

It cost $10,670 to test students at North Baltimore last year, which
included periodic random tests throughout each sports season. Very few
students tested positive, and most who did had turned themselves in
before they took the test. Under the current policy, students who
refer themselves for an assessment program before the urinalysis test
and then test positive do not have to sit out any of the season. Those
who test positive without coming forward first automatically miss 20
per cent of that season.

Mr. Van Mooy said the school board has no plans to abandon the policy,
but most school officials and board members agree it could be improved.

"I'm hoping to sit down with the parents of the kids who have gone
through this and say what can we do to make this better," he said.
"Our philosophy remains, this is an opportunity for the kids and their
families to work together."

The meeting will be held immediately after the 7 p.m. board meeting
tonight - most likely about 8:30 p.m., Mr. Van Mooy said.