SCHOOL BOARD VOTES TASK FORCES OVER DRUG TESTS

MCCLOUD - The Siskiyou Union High School District board voted to form
task forces to explore the subject of random drug testing for
students instead of implementing the proposed plan at Wednesday's
board meeting at McCloud High School.

The board directed principals Jim Cox of Mount Shasta High School and
Mike Matheson of Weed High School to form two separate 12-person task
forces which would consist of three parents, three students, two
teachers, a school nurse, an athletic director or coach, a
behavioral health instructor and the principals' themselves.

The task forces would explore the subject of drug testing in addition
to other programs aimed at aiding in the education and prevention of
drug and alcohol abuse.

SUHSD superintendent Dick Holmes said that even though the issue of
drugs and alcohol use among students is a problem, he went on to say,
"This board is not interested in moving hastily."

Only a handful of parents were on hand at the board meeting. Each
gave differing opinions on the drug testing issue but all conceded
that "something must be done."

MSHS principal Jim Cox began the discussion by reporting the details
of Monday night's drug testing forum to the board.

Cox said he had a good turnout while noting that the 30 in attendance
was out of a possible 700 parents who have students attending MSHS.
Cox said he considered the amount of people in attendance a good
turnout and that the conversation was positive, despite differing
views.

Cox said parents had concerns about the un-detailed proposal and the
lack of policies and procedures if the board should vote to implement
the drug testing.

WHS principal Mike Matheson also reported on the forum at his school,
saying that parents were concerned about the testing "causing an aura
of distrust," and that the testing did not address what they believed
to be the big issue: alcohol abuse.

"Drug testing cannot be what we hang our hat on," Matheson said. "But
it's a good next step."

Holmes suggested that alcohol prevention programs used in the past
should be reviewed as a way to address the alcohol issue.

Matheson recanted a letter sent to him from a parent whose child,
along with several of his friends, had made a commitment to stop
using tobacco in preparation for the upcoming sports season. The
letter also stated that the students' girlfriends also agreed to stop
using tobacco in support of their boyfriends, according to Matheson.

Parents in attendance gave the board ideas the task forces should
explore further. One suggestion was to implement armbands for
students as a "point of pride" and a reminder to stay clean. Another
idea was to fold initial drug testing into the athletes' initial
sports physicals and then conduct random tests throughout the
season. An additional idea was to randomly test entire teams as
opposed to testing individuals one at a time.

SUHSD president George Winkelman concluded the discussion by saying
that the subject needed more discussion.

Holmes agreed by reading a prepared statement which called for more
discussion and encouraged the board to stay the issue to be reviewed
at a later date. He also called for the review and revision of the
currents codes of conduct regardless whether the testing is
implemented or not. His last recommendation was to implement task
forces.

Winkelman asked Cox and Matheson to bring a progress report about the
task forces to the next board meeting held in October.

Regarding volunteers, Cox said that he asked forum attendees to put a
star by their name on the attendance sheet if they were interested
joining a task force that would further explore the subject of drug
testing.

"I had too many names," Cox said.