RANDOM DRUG TESTS PROPOSED FOR CENTRAL HIGH STUDENTS

The Aberdeen school board wants to know if parents are interested in
starting random testing of Central High School students for drugs in
their bodies.

The tests would be random only among those students whose parents have
enrolled their kids in the program. It would also allow for
discretionary testing whereby parents would call Central and request
that their child be tested on a particular day.

The Sioux Falls school district has participated in these programs of
Prairie View Prevention Services of Sioux Falls for a number of years,
said Darcy Jensen of Prairie View. About a third of Sioux Falls high
school students are part of the random/discretionary testing, she said.

The agency has a contract with the Aberdeen district to provide drug-
and alcohol-abuse prevention services to students.

Under the proposal, tests for drugs would be performed in medical labs
in Aberdeen. Results would go to parents, not the school. The district
would not be privy to the results unless a parent wanted them to be
included in the child's school record, Jensen said.

Labs would let parents know if their child's name had been picked for
a random test. If the child refused to be tested, the parent would
call the lab. The school would never learn the student refused, Jensen
said.

In Sioux Falls, most students whose parents want them in the program
also agree to be part of it, she said. At the very least, the program
is "a good tool to generate student-parent discussions on drugs," she
said.

The Sioux Falls program is districtwide, although almost all
participants are high school students, Jensen said.

School board member Bob Nikolas said he feared the project might
result in authorities telling parents something like, "You must do
this or we will take your child away from you."

Board member Duane Alm, however, said parents might welcome the
testing.

"It seems like another resource for parents to use," he said. "Parents
are always looking for resources."

In Sioux Falls, families pay an annual fee of $5 to participate.
Medical labs provide the testing at reduced fees to help keep costs
down. Avera Health Systems in Sioux Falls is a major player in the
program, Jensen said. Avera St. Luke's Hospital in Aberdeen is part of
the Avera network.

Gary Harms, superintendent of Aberdeen schools, said he would look
into securing grants to cover the $5 fees, at least for a few years,
if the board decides to pursue the program.

Parents and others can share their views with board members by going
to the Web site, www.aberdeen.k12.sd.us. On the left of the home page,
click into "School Board" to gain access to each member's e-mail.

The board plans to vote on the proposal on July 10.