BERNARDS SCHOOL DISTRICT SEEKS INPUT AS IT CONSIDERS RANDOM DRUG TESTING

BERNARDS --The Board of Education remains undecided about whether a
random drug-testing program is the right way to tackle the problem
of high school students using alcohol and drugs.

The board is scheduled to hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. tomorrow
Nov. 10 to hear public comments and receive further information
about a proposal that could begin in the 2009-10 school year. The
program, to randomly test Ridge High School students who
have applied for a parking permit or who sign up
for extra-curricular activities, would be similar to existing
programs in other Central Jersey high schools.

"We haven't decided yet what we are going to do and we are not going
to decide on Monday," said Board Vice President Susan Carlsson. "The
board is really looking for community input."

Board members will also hear an update from a committee of school
officials and community members that has been studying the issue for
about a year, and has reported favorably in the past about
implementing random drug testing, she said.

Board President William Koch said he hopes for a strong community
turnout at tomorrow's meeting.

Koch would not guess at the board's majority opinion on random
testing, or offer his own thoughts about it.

What's involved

The test would involve a urine sample that would show results for
traces of marijuana, cocaine, heroin and some other prescription
drugs, but not alcohol, Carlsson said. An oral swab might also be
used, according to information on the district's Web site,
www.bernardsboe.com.

A student who tests positive the first time would be disciplined
with a two-week suspension from all extracurricular activities, with
counseling at the school to follow.

The Web site said a urine test costs $12, and a swab test about $8.
The site estimates the annual cost of supplies and school
presentations on the program ranging from about $2,800 to $5,500.

Tomorrow's meeting will also include a presentation by Christina
Steffner, principal of Hunterdon Central Regional High School in
Raritan Township, where a program in place for a number of years has
served as a model for other high schools.

One parent who objects to random drug-testing Toby Spitzer, who said
her children have already graduated from the high school. "I think
we should be focusing more on giving them (students) learning tools
they can use not only at home, but when they go to college," she said.

Attaching random testing to extracurricular programs ignores
students who don't get involved in such activities and might be at
the highest risk, Spitzer said.

Spitzer also said such a program is an invasion of privacy and
confidentiality for students and their families. "I think it's a
huge infringement on a parent's right to discipline their child in a
way they think is appropriate," she said.

Another parent, Lynn Evelyn, said she agrees with Spitzer's
concerns. "Drug testing doesn't teach the kids anything ... that
would be helpful in the long run," she said.

Spitzer also is concerned about the ramifications for a student who
tests positive while taking prescription drugs or being treated for
an illness or medical condition. She said the district should
instead review existing programs for effectiveness.

Survey results

In anonymous surveys of students conducted at Ridge High during the
past several years, 69 percent of seniors in 2006-07 said they had
consumed alcohol in the previous month, with half admitting that
they had been drunk during that time. Carlsson said
the confidential surveys are carefully administered by the district.

In the 2006-07 survey, 47 percent of sophomores said they had used
alcohol in the previous month, with 25 percent admitting to being
drunk during that time.

While alcohol use had remained fairly stable since the late 90s,
except for a slight drop during a few years, the surveys indicated
marijuana use has been increasing.

The survey showed 33 percent of Ridge's Class of 2007 saying they
had used marijuana in the previous month, compared with 13 percent in 1990-91.

Both alcohol and marijuana use at Ridge exceeded the national
reported average for seniors in 2006-07.

Nearby Bernards High School, in the Somerset Hills School District
in Bernardsville, is in the exploratory stage of considering a
similar random drug-testing program, said Bernards High Principal
Scot Beckerman.

"The Board of Education would make sure there is community support"
for such a program, Beckerman said.

Elsewhere, the Hillsborough school district during the past year has
approved a random drug-testing program for Hillsborough High School
that is modeled after Hunterdon Central's program.