LOCAL DISTRICTS UNLIKELY TO FOLLOW INDIANA'S LEAD ON DRUG TESTING

The Supreme Court last week supported an Indiana school district's policy of
drug testing students who participate in extracurricular activities. But the
precedent, say local school administrators, is not likely one they will
follow.

"We are not going to be a front-runner in doing things any differently from
how we are now," said Dickinson school district superintendent Leland
Williams.

"We're more interested in kids being successful, and if drug testing became
something these kids needed to do in the future, we'd look into it. So far,
there hasn't been any need to do so."

When Rush County High School in rural Indiana adopted its drug-testing
policy in 1996, it didn't seem to have much of a need for it either. There
had been and still is little evidence of drug use among the school's
students.

However, the school began drug testing students, and it even bars students
from all extracurricular activities -- from the sports teams to the library
club -- unless they consent to random urine tests.

Larry Walker, football coach and athletic director at La Marque High School,
said the idea of drug testing might at times be useful, but for the most
part "it could open up a big can of worms."

"When you talk about drug testing, there's the question of what's considered
a drug," Walker said. "A lot of the kids are trying to get stronger, and
they might be taking something like Creatine to increase their performance
ability.

"You also get into the question of financing it because if you start it,
then you've got to continue it so the kids don't think it's just some
temporary fad to scare them."

Walker said he had "mixed emotions" about the whole idea of drug testing
students without cause. And Steve Van Meter, Friendswood High School
athletic director, said the testing could defeat the idea of trust and
teamwork among players.

"You could open up all kinds of problems in running a cohesive program based
upon building a team," said Van Meter, who has been involved in high school
athletics for 17 years. "Of course, when you're in this business as many
years as I've been, you go through phases where you see kids, and you
suspect things, and you would like to be able to do it."

The drug testing at Rush County High School is conducted in a service
vehicle parked on school grounds. There are separate areas for boys and
girls.

If the student tests positive, his or her family has an opportunity to
explain the result by, for example, showing that the student is taking a
certain prescription medicine. Without any such proof or explanation, the
student is suspended from all extracurricular activities until passing a new
test.

The program was challenged by two sets of parents whose children were
involved with the library club, the football team and Future Farmers of
America. The parents refused to allow their children to be tested and sued
the school.

A federal trial judge upheld the drug-testing program. And a three-judge
panel of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed, stating that
"successful extracurricular activities require healthy students."

The justices said that such testing does not violate students' privacy
rights. But the action is not a ruling, and therefore sets no national
precedent. It could, however, encourage other school districts to impose
similar requirements.

Rather than impose drug testing, Clear Creek school district superintendent
John E. Wilson said positive reinforcement of anti-drug messages had proven
more productive for his district.

Drug testing "is the closest and most sure way to assure parents that
students participating in extracurricular activities are drug-free," Wilson
admitted. But he favors the route of programs that place trust in the
students.

He describes the CLEAR program currently in the district. CLEAR, which
stands for Clean Living Encouragement and Responsibility, is a policy that
gives students a choice in drug testing.

"It enables students with their parents' permission to submit to random drug
testing," Wilson said. "If the test is positive, they go to a counselor, and
there is no disciplinary action, and the results are confidential.

"This helps create an opportunity for our students to latch on to something
positive and say, 'I want to be a part of this. I want to be a part of
something constructive.' The more positively you can present this to young
people, the more productive it will be."

The Associated Press contributed to this report. LOCAL DISTRICTS UNLIKELY TO
FOLLOW INDIANA'S LEAD ON DRUG TESTING

The Supreme Court last week supported an Indiana school district's policy of
drug testing students who participate in extracurricular activities. But the
precedent, say local school administrators, is not likely one they will
follow.

"We are not going to be a front-runner in doing things any differently from
how we are now," said Dickinson school district superintendent Leland
Williams.

"We're more interested in kids being successful, and if drug testing became
something these kids needed to do in the future, we'd look into it. So far,
there hasn't been any need to do so."

When Rush County High School in rural Indiana adopted its drug-testing
policy in 1996, it didn't seem to have much of a need for it either. There
had been and still is little evidence of drug use among the school's
students.

However, the school began drug testing students, and it even bars students
from all extracurricular activities -- from the sports teams to the library
club -- unless they consent to random urine tests.

Larry Walker, football coach and athletic director at La Marque High School,
said the idea of drug testing might at times be useful, but for the most
part "it could open up a big can of worms."

"When you talk about drug testing, there's the question of what's considered
a drug," Walker said. "A lot of the kids are trying to get stronger, and
they might be taking something like Creatine to increase their performance
ability.

"You also get into the question of financing it because if you start it,
then you've got to continue it so the kids don't think it's just some
temporary fad to scare them."

Walker said he had "mixed emotions" about the whole idea of drug testing
students without cause. And Steve Van Meter, Friendswood High School
athletic director, said the testing could defeat the idea of trust and
teamwork among players.

"You could open up all kinds of problems in running a cohesive program based
upon building a team," said Van Meter, who has been involved in high school
athletics for 17 years. "Of course, when you're in this business as many
years as I've been, you go through phases where you see kids, and you
suspect things, and you would like to be able to do it."

The drug testing at Rush County High School is conducted in a service
vehicle parked on school grounds. There are separate areas for boys and
girls.

If the student tests positive, his or her family has an opportunity to
explain the result by, for example, showing that the student is taking a
certain prescription medicine. Without any such proof or explanation, the
student is suspended from all extracurricular activities until passing a new
test.

The program was challenged by two sets of parents whose children were
involved with the library club, the football team and Future Farmers of
America. The parents refused to allow their children to be tested and sued
the school.

A federal trial judge upheld the drug-testing program. And a three-judge
panel of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed, stating that
"successful extracurricular activities require healthy students."

The justices said that such testing does not violate students' privacy
rights. But the action is not a ruling, and therefore sets no national
precedent. It could, however, encourage other school districts to impose
similar requirements.

Rather than impose drug testing, Clear Creek school district superintendent
John E. Wilson said positive reinforcement of anti-drug messages had proven
more productive for his district.

Drug testing "is the closest and most sure way to assure parents that
students participating in extracurricular activities are drug-free," Wilson
admitted. But he favors the route of programs that place trust in the
students.

He describes the CLEAR program currently in the district. CLEAR, which
stands for Clean Living Encouragement and Responsibility, is a policy that
gives students a choice in drug testing.

"It enables students with their parents' permission to submit to random drug
testing," Wilson said. "If the test is positive, they go to a counselor, and
there is no disciplinary action, and the results are confidential.

"This helps create an opportunity for our students to latch on to something
positive and say, 'I want to be a part of this. I want to be a part of
something constructive.' The more positively you can present this to young
people, the more productive it will be."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Checked-by: Don Beck