NISD STUDENTS AND PARENTS BRIEFED

Random drug testing is now a fact of campus life for students on the
junior high and high school campuses in Navasota, and students and
parents were briefed on the procedures last week.

"The students were very interested and courteous as we went through
the steps, then asked questions afterward," said junior high
principal Amy Jarvis after the Sept. 4 assemblies in which students
learned how the program works.

A similar assembly was held on the high school campus the same day,
and another that evening in the junior high cafeteria. Parents,
students and the public were invited to attend the Thursday night
session, where Ron Davis of Forward Edge, Inc., presented the
program Navasota will follow.

Forward Edge is the firm contracted by the school to oversee the
testing procedure and coordinate security measures for accurate
sampling, then forward the specimens to a private laboratory in
Pasadena for analysis.

Beginning this school year, all students in extracurricular
activities or who drive to school and have parking passes, will be
subject to random testing. Specific categories of drugs the tests
will focus on include opiates and narcotics, depressants, stimulants
and hallucinogens. The test battery does not include steroids.

To begin a testing cycle, a list of students is randomly generated
by computer the evening before test day. Students are identified by
number only, so no one knows who is to be tested until the time the
procedure begins.

Davis explained the chain of custody and control procedures that
involve the students as well as those overseeing the tests. Student
safety and privacy are to be rigidly observed at all steps of the testing.

In the event a student tests positive for the presence of one or
more of the drugs in the battery, the parent or guardian will be
notified the following day. From there, it is the parent or
guardian's responsibility to contact the school to determine the
reason. Davis said there are circumstances in which an
appropriate explanation for the positive result may exist, but
it's up to the parents to make contact. He also noted that
a refusal to test is considered an automatic positive test.

The first positive test will result in a student's suspension from
practice or participation in extracurricular activities for 15
school days. A second positive results in a 30 school day
suspension, and a third is a 180-day suspension. During the
suspension period, students remain in school but cannot take
part in extracurricular activities and must meet with a Licensed
Chemical Dependency Counselor.

The suspensions from extracurricular activities also carry over from
semester to semester and even into the next school year if necessary.

Specific questions regarding the program may be directed to the
campus principals at Navasota ISD.