DRUG TESTING AWAITS FINAL APPROVAL

Officials with the Branson School District say that they are already
making preparations to begin a random drug-testing program for the
upcoming school year.

Superintendent Doug Hayter said the policy only has one more hurdle
to jump before gaining full approval.

"We have sent a copy of the policy to the Missouri School Board
Association for final review," Hayter said. "We are planning to
implement the policy for this upcoming school year."

Hayter said school faculty will begin determining which students
will be added to the pool in late July and early August.

The policy, which gained approval from the school board in May, will
be random and will only apply to students participating in
extracurricular activities and students who drive to school.

"This all hinges on privileges versus educational rights," Hayter
said. "For this reason, we have moved away from any activities that
affect a student's grade, such as band.

"However any student that participates in an activity that is a
privilege will be subject to testing.

"Playing a sport is a privilege. A student does not have to play a
sport to receive an education. The same with driving to school and
parking. A student does not have to drive to school. These are
things we allow students to do and that is why we made the decisions we did."

The board initiated the idea of random drug-testing in October 2005.
A task force of students, teachers and administrators from the
intermediate, junior high and high schools met late last year to
make the drug-testing recommendations.

The company which conducts drug testing for the school district's
bus drivers, Employee Screening Services, will also be conducting
the students' drug tests.

The company also conducts drug tests for the students and employees
from other schools in southwest Missouri.

School Board President Peter Marcellus confirmed after the board
unanimously passed the measure last month that its members have
volunteered to be the first to take part in the drug testing.

In Taney County, the Forsyth and Hollister school districts have
similar policies to test each student who participates in
extra-curricular activities. In both districts, each student is
tested at the start of the school year.

The rest of the year, students are tested randomly.