GNA RANDOM DRUG TESTING POLICY GETS INITIAL APPROVAL

NANTICOKE - The Greater Nanticoke Area School Board approved the first
reading of a random drug-testing policy during its meeting on Thursday.

At the request of district officials, state troopers used drug-trained
sniffing dogs to inspect the high school on Oct. 13 while the building
was in lock-down. "There were no drugs of any kind found,"
Superintendent Tony Perrone said.

Specifics of how the entire drug-testing policy will work and how
often the testing will be conducted are still being ironed out, but
Perrone said the district will use a private medical lab to conduct
the testing.

"We are trying to make this a drug-free school zone," he said. "It
will just be athletes now, but eventually it will be extracurricular
also."

Parents must sign a waiver to allow for the testing or their child
won't be allowed to participate on the district's sports teams.

Students on prescription medication would not be subject to penalties
that would be enforced on students who test positive for illegal
substances, Perrone said.

Officials also approved the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment
improvement plan.

The plan, which is required to be submitted to the Pennsylvania
Department of Education, describes the district's testing standards
and what activities it will use to help students improve their
standardized test scores.

School board member Patricia Bieski said the district has a long way
to go to improve the scores, but at least it is now moving in the
right direction.

"I am glad we are not just talking anymore and are moving forward to
improve the PSSA scores," she said.

Further details of the plan were not available.