SOME NORTH STAR STUDENTS FAVOR DRUG TESTING

BOSWELL - North Star School District may return to the short-lived
drug policy it installed less than five years ago.

The school board decided Monday to schedule a special meeting at
6:30 p.m. March 24 to discuss the possibility, as well as budget matters.

According to Superintendent Dennis Leyman, the district's former
policy allowed the school to test at random any student involved
with athletics, extracurricular activities or who had a
driver's permit. These rules were in effect until 2006,
lasting less than two years.

Monday's meeting was attended by six high school students - and each
seemed in favor of drug testing of some sort.

Robert Rea, a senior, said he was in favor of random tests for all students.

"They'll hit more people. Drug and alcohol use is pretty
overwhelming here," he said.

Rea added that he believed members of the senior class are
especially known for this.

"It's like we hand (the underclassmen) a drug-infested torch to pass
on," he said.

But Leyman said random testing for all students isn't likely.

"It'll probably be discussed at the meeting, but it doesn't look
like a viable option," he said.

The reason: Theodore v. Delaware Valley School District, a case that
challenged the legality of testing all students.

Because of the case, Solicitor Jim Beener said implementing a
random-testing-for-all policy could open the district to lawsuits
based upon right-to-privacy premises.

"Testing all students involuntarily will not currently work under
present Pennsylvania law," he said.

The board's discussion to bring back a drug testing policy began in
November. If a decision is reached next month, the policy would
likely take effect for the start of the 2009-10 school year.

Chelsee Greeley, also a senior at North Star, said she hopes that a
drug testing policy is enacted.

"Everything's been getting worse, and the school knows that," she said.