PORT CLINTON CITY SCHOOLS

Drug Tests On Way For Drivers, Athletes

New Policy In Effect As Classes Begin

PORT CLINTON - Student drivers who park in the school lot must stay
clean this year, and that doesn't mean washing their cars.

Random drug testing at Port Clinton City Schools will involve not
only students who park their cars at school, but also those who
participate in sports or other extracurricular activities.

"The Board of Education felt that we have to make sure our students
are safe and drug-free," Superintendent Pat Adkins said. "I think
it's important to note it's not a cure-all to drug use."

The board approved the policy Aug. 22. Classes began Monday.

Greg Bartels, 17, who sings in choir and drives to school, said he
supports the decision, but he questioned whether the drug testing
would lead to other forms of "intrusion" into students' lives. "I
have no problem with it," he said. "I'm glad to see the involvement
of the school."

Another student, Jessica Dugan, 17, expressed mixed feelings, but
said she's not worried about random tests because "I don't do any of
this stuff."

Miss Dugan, who is a member of several academic clubs, said drug
testing will help ensure that other students are staying clean as well.

For 10 years, the school district has employed a substance-abuse
coordinator to counsel students and to educate them on drug and
alcohol issues, Mr. Adkins said.

The board held community forums before approving drug testing. Mr.
Adkins said three-fourths of the people who spoke up supported the
issue. Others voiced concerns over the potential infringement of
parental rights.

About 30 percent of the high school's 650 students were issued
parking passes last year, said Jan Gluth, spokesman for the Port
Clinton district.

Neither the Ohio School Board Association nor the Ohio High School
Athletic Association keeps track of the number of schools that
require drug tests for students or athletes.

Scott Ebright, spokesman for the school board association, said
school drug testing is an issue that "seems to come and go." He said
some districts dropped the program after implementing it for a year
or two when testing failed to uncover offenders.

"Most try to do it as a preventative measure and not as a punitive
measure," he said.

Bob Golding, spokesman for the athletic association, said testing
costs can be a deterrent to schools considering doing so. He said
testing of student-athletes is an issue each school district must
decide on its own. "We have never considered a statewide mandate," he said.

The drug tests will be randomly administered to up to 20 percent of
the students every two weeks. The school board estimates the tests
will cost between $8,000 and $10,000 a year and will cost $27 each.

If a student tests positive for drugs or alcohol, the disciplinary
policy outlined in the student handbook will be used, he said.

"We're not trying to be parents," Mr. Adkins said. "We want to make
sure we're doing everything possible to make sure drugs stay out of
the school system."

The Rossford Board of Education this summer approved implementing a
drug-testing policy and plans to name an outside agency to
administer the testing.

Genoa has had a policy in place for athletes attending the
district's middle and high schools since fall, 2003, while in Erie
County, the Margaretta Local School District announced a plan to
institute a drug-testing policy this year for students in grades
seven through 12 who participate in athletics or drive to school.

Otsego, Lake, and North Baltimore schools have had programs for
several years. Otsego charges student-athletes for mandatory
preseason drug tests, but the board picks up the cost for random
testing throughout the year.