GLENPOOL BOARD OKS DRUG, FELONY CHECKS

GLENPOOL -- In an effort to curb unlawful employees and drug usage, the
school board adopted two policies for criminal background checks and
athletic drug testing Monday night. Employees will now fill out annual
questionnaires on whether they have been arrested, charged or made a plea
within the previous 365 days. The five questions, simply answered yes or
no, deal with charges and convictions both in and out of state as well as
pleas of no contest, felony charges reduced to misdemeanors and deferred
prosecution agreements. Employees will also be required to notify the
superintendent within 10 days of any pleas to state or federal felony
charges, felony convictions, reduced charges, pleas or convictions to drug
or sexual charges and deferred prosecution agreements. And 10 percent of
the district staff will be checked randomly each year for complete criminal
record searches. Superintendent Dennis Chaffin said the measures were
needed to help strengthen the system. A bill by Sen. Lewis Long, D-
Glenpool, would have required district attorneys to notify school districts
when charges have been filed against a school employee.

The bill passed both houses of the Legislature but died in a joint
conference committee. Chaffin said Glenpool teachers did not have a problem
with the policy and that most area districts are strengthening their
policies. Student athletes in grades seven through 12 will be tested for
illegal and performance-enhancing drugs a week before their perspective
sport seasons begin. An athlete who tests positive on the first offense
will be placed probation for 10 days and must complete four hours of
substance- abuse counseling. Upon a second offense, the athlete will be
barred from sport participation for 18 school weeks. Glenpool High School
Principal Jim Jones said the policy comes after unsuccessful attempts at
drug awareness. ``It was more of a problem with kids backing away from
joining our Drug Free Youth program last year,'' Jones said. ``We were
expecting about 200 members but only got about 90.'' Jones pointed out that
DFY requires random drug testing. But Glenpool's policy does not apply
random testing. ``We felt that we didn't have enough evidence for random
testing.

If the policy proves to be what we think, hopefully we'll never move to
random testing.''

Scott Cooper can be reached at 581-8469.

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski