OSCEOLA HIGH WANTS RANDOM DRUG TESTS FOR ITS ATHLETES

Osceola County high schools may become the first in Central Florida to test
athletes randomly for drugs if officials agree on a three-part plan one
school has developed to make players more responsible.

The proposal by Osceola High School would require about 10 percent of male
and female athletes to be tested annually for illegal drugs in each sport.

"They're the most noticed, and they're looked upon as leaders," said
Osceola High principal Chuck Paradiso. "What we're trying to do is raise
the bar, raise the expectations for these young men and women."

The three-part plan would also require students involved in all sports to
perform two to nine hours of community service during every athletic season
and get weekly progress reports from teachers.

Coaches would monitor homework assignments and projects to make sure
teammates are keeping up in class, Paradiso said. The required grade point
average -- 2.0 -- would not change.

Osceola High administrators have proposed the plan to the School Board. To
allow the program, though, officials would have to change district policy,
which would affect the other four public high schools, said School Board
Chairman Tom Greer.

The district is working now to organize a meeting of principals and
athletic directors to discuss the proposal. Greer said all campuses likely
would have to support drug testing for the board to approve the program.

"Sometimes there's a perception about athletes, and I think this would be a
good piece with the general public to make them feel good," said Greer, a
former coach. "We're doing community service, we're academically challenged
and we're free from drugs. This is the message we want to send to the young
children."

The proposal comes after the unsolved murder of an Osceola High football
player who was shot and killed earlier this year by a man wanting to buy
drugs. School officials say that is not what prompted the program.

Although the U.S. Supreme Court last year ruled that random drug testing
does not violate students' privacy rights, school district officials fear
it would be unfair to Osceola High athletes if only their school had the
requirement. Also, the project could spur a rash of transfer requests.

Randomly testing students -- particularly athletes -- for drugs has become
a national trend. Osceola, however, would be one of the few counties in
Florida. Santa Rosa County and Manatee High School in Bradenton have
started similar programs.

Civil-rights activists argue that schools in this state must tread
carefully toward such programs because they could be easily challenged.
Florida is one of about a dozen states that has a specific guarantee of
privacy in its constitution.

"I think if privacy means anything in this country, it means if you're not
suspected of doing anything wrong, you have the right to be left alone --
whether you're an adult or a child," said Howard Simon, executive director
of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida. "This is a public
relations response. People hear about random drug testing at their work and
other places, and [all school officials] have a political need to tell the
community that they're attentive to the drug problem. It may send a
political message, but what they are considering adopting is just not very
effective."

Under the Osceola High plan, a computer would select 10 to 12 percent of
the school's athletes. Tests would be administered on campus and require
parental consent, Paradiso said.

Start-up costs have been estimated at $500 to $800 per school because
saliva can be tested with inexpensive litmus paper. If a litmus test result
is positive for drugs, then either the test would be confirmed at a lab or
the student would take another test at a lab.

At the earliest, the program would begin next semester. But it is more
likely to be launched at the start of the next school year, Greer said.

Parents and students at Osceola High are just learning of the plan, but so
far it seems well-received. Superintendent Blaine Muse introduced the issue
Thursday night at a School Advisory Committee meeting.

If administrators from other schools agree with the Osceola High plan, they
will then present it to teachers, parents and community members. The School
Board will make a decision based on input from all. The program may be a
first step toward randomly testing all students.

"I can't tell you someone isn't going to disagree with this," said parent
Nina Camp, who heads Osceola High's advisory committee, " but as a whole, I
think parents will agree with what we're asking.

"I assume we have to start somewhere, and if we're looking at the athletes
right now, it's possible in the future we might look at the other areas,"
Camp said.

St. Cloud High School officials said they want to consider random drug
testing, and Celebration School educators would like to have the option
available later. Gateway High School administrators, on the other hand,
said they want to hear more details before supporting the program.
Poinciana High School Principal Michael Brizendine could not be reached for
comment.

Many school officials and parents agree that unless all schools get
involved, the program may not work.

"All the kids in the county would need to be held to the same standards,"
said David Ridenour, Gateway High's athletic director.

Osceola High student Bill Sam said he supports the program, although he
concedes it probably won't be completely effective.

"You could miss people [by] doing it randomly," said Sam, a varsity
wrestler who also participates in track and cross-country. "But randomly
[testing] would be fair on the other hand."