CBHS WILL START DRUG TESTS THIS FALL

Plan has parent, student support

Beginning this fall, Christian Brothers High School will test all its nearly
900 students for drug use.

Using a hair from the student's head, the test will scan for five types of
drugs: marijuana, cocaine, opiates (including heroin), PCP and
methamphetamines. It will not test for alcohol.

For the first offense, the school will hold a conference with the student
and his parents, where counseling and other issues will be discussed.

Then, 100 days later, the student will be tested again. If the second test
is positive, the student will be expelled. Any student refusing to take the
test also will be expelled.

The decision, school officials say, is an attempt to intercept any potential
problems regarding drug use, not because of an existing situation at the
school.

"The kids choose to be at CBHS. They want to be at that school. (That) gives
them a reason not to do drugs," CBHS principal Brother Chris Englert said.
"They say no because they don't want to be kicked out of CBHS. I compare it
to a policeman sitting on the expressway. If we know he's there, we're going
to drive a lot slower."

CBHS is believed to be the only school in the Memphis area instituting such
a policy. Memphis, Shelby County and DeSoto County schools have no
systemwide drug-testing policy.

However, in 1996, Germantown High School instituted a drug-testing program
among its athletes, based on a U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing the
practice. The Germantown program is still in use.

It's uncertain if any other area private schools will follow CBHS's lead,
but at least two expressed approval of the idea.

"I have great admiration for Christian Brothers in taking the lead in this
area," said Ellis Haguewood, headmaster at Memphis University School.

Added Dr. George Elder, headmaster at Lausanne Collegiate School: "We have
talked about it. And with Brother Chris doing it, it's going to be talked
about a lot more. I've already notified our Board of Trustees that I want us
to talk about this."

This is expected to be the testing process:

The students will be selected at random, four to five most days. They will
be taken to Dean of Students George Pratt's office, where the hairs will be
extracted and sent for testing.

John Ward, the school's director of development, said students won't know in
advance when they are to be tested.

Students who have been tested will be returned to the pool, so some students
may be tested more than once.

The tests will cost $60 per student, and the cost will be assessed along
with tuition at the beginning of the year.

Several CBHS parents expressed support.

"I think it's a great idea. I hope they do it. I know that there's a lot of
drug abuse going on right now," said Elizabeth Tate, whose 14-year-old son,
Stephen, attends CBHS. "I would like to see that stopped. And that's one way
to stop it, I guess."

Added Brad Bradshaw, whose son Nick is a senior at the school: "I have no
problem with that. It might put the fear in some students that are, let's
say, considering it. If that does so, then it's effective and it's served
its purpose."

Mario Bertagna, head of the Christian Brothers Parents Association, said the
program was discussed with parents and students before the decision was made
to implement it.

". . . I think they're handling it pretty well. They've had discussions with
the student government body, and ran it by the students," Bertagna said.
"It's not a deal where they're cramming it down their throats."

Ward Robinson, president of the school's Student Government Association,
said that, while many students favor the plan, some are opposed to it.

"I think a lot of people think that it's unnecessary. There's even some
saying I do what I want on my own time," said Robinson, a 17-year-old
senior. "There's going to be complaints about it not being fair. But I
definitely think it's going to make the school a better place. It's going to
give parents security."

Said Patrick Filice, a 17-year-old senior: "I guess in a way I agree with
it, because it'll definitely cut down on students who do drugs or sell to
other kids. I think it's kind of an invasion of privacy. But also, we're
just teenagers."

Christian Brothers got the idea from the De La Salle High School in New
Orleans, where the program was instituted in March 1998. The policy was a
way to combat growing drug use at the school, said Joe Hines, who
coordinates the De La Salle program.

"We were having a little more than a few problems with drugs. A lot of
schools around here are. We felt that we just wanted to take this step and
do this," Hines said.

So far, Hines said, about 25 of the school's 850-member student body have
tested positive. Three have been expelled in the past two years.