CAIRO TO RANDOMLY TEST HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FOR DRUGS

CAIRO, Ill. -- Cairo High School students who participate in sports or
other extracurricular activities face random drug testing this coming
school year and will be barred from participating in those activities
until subsequent tests show they're clean. The Cairo school board
unanimously approved the drug-testing policy late last week, along
with a code of conduct for students who participate in extracurricular
activities. The code of conduct extends year-round and applies whether
or not school is in session.

The code of conduct prohibits drinking alcoholic beverages except for
religious purposes, use of tobacco in any form, and possession or
dealing of drugs and weapons. The prohibition doesn't apply to such
activities as target shooting or hunting.

Students also are prohibited from such acts as stealing, vandalism,
acting in an unsportsmanlike manner, hazing other students, and
attending a party or riding in a vehicle where alcoholic beverages or
controlled substances are being consumed by minors.

Violators face suspension from extracurricular activities for part of
a season or an entire season. In cases of repeated, serious
violations, students could be banned from participating in
extracurricular activities for the remainder of their high school
careers, school officials said.

Setting a 'higher standard'

Cairo schools superintendent Gary Whitledge said, "We're going to set
a higher standard because we know the kids can achieve it."

That higher standard ultimately may include requiring students to wear
school uniforms, he said.

That would eliminate "gangster look-alike" attire, Whitledge
said.

The superintendent said uniforms would eliminate the peer pressure on
students to conform to such styles and present a good image of
students in class.

School officials intend to meet with parents before crafting any
school uniform policy, he said.

Whitledge said the new drug-testing policy, long favored by the board,
wasn't adopted because of any particular drug problem at the high school.

"There was no particular compelling reason other than to set a
standard," he said.

It's part of an effort to improve the image of the small school
district in Alexander County, Whitledge said.

The district has been plagued in recent years by a declining tax base,
declining enrollment and low test scores. Most of its students are
black. Many of the students come from low-income families.

School officials hope that the drug testing and the code of conduct
will challenge students to be model citizens. "The kids are all going
to be aware that we're going to test for illegal drugs and we are
going to test for alcohol," Whitledge said.

More than 20 Illinois school districts conduct random drug testing of
students. Eighteen districts in Missouri have or plan to adopt
drug-testing programs, according to the Missouri School Boards'
Association.

Federal court cases have upheld such testing where it hasn't involved
the entire student body. "I don't think there is any precedent out
there that would cover the entire student body," Whitledge said.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1995 that it was legal for schools to
conduct random drug tests of student athletes. In 2002, the high court
ruled that students participating in other extracurricular activities
could be drug tested too.

Cairo High School has about 200 students. About half of them are
involved in extracurricular activities.

Five testings a year

Under the drug-testing policy, the district plans to conduct random
drug tests five times a year.

Each time, the district will screen urine samples of 10 percent of the
extracurricular students, or about 10 students, for drugs. One of
those students also will be tested with a swab for alcohol.

As many as 50 students may be tested for drugs over the course of the
school year, Whitledge said.

It will cost the district $35 to $50 per student per test. The testing
includes follow-up tests in cases of students who test positive. Cairo
School District expects to spend about $2,500 a year on drug and
alcohol testing, Whitledge said.

A Cairo firm, Health Safety and Environmental Consulting Inc., will
coordinate the testing.

Urine samples will be screened for marijuana, methamphetamine,
cocaine, amphetamines and barbiturates, said Edward Doss, president of
the Cairo firm. The company could screen for anabolic steroids, but
that would mean an added cost to the district, he said.

The Cairo firm does a lot of drug screening for employers, but this
will be the first school district to engage its services.

The company contracts with a business in Louisiana that does the
actual testing of the samples.

Samples are tested at least twice when students test positive, he
said.