BOARD DEBATES DRUG-TESTING PLAN

Member Objects To Expansion To Middle School. Date of vote
set.

HACKETTSTOWN -- The board of education faced few questions at its
Wednesday meeting regarding its drug testing policy, so it will vote
June 21 on whether to start a voluntary drug-testing program for
seventh- and eighth-grade students.

Hackettstown Middle School would be one of about only 30 middle
schools nationwide that conduct drug tests. School officials said the
middle school does not have a drug problem, but they don't want to
wait until there is one to do something about it.

"I think we need to do something more for the students," Principal
Michael Meyer said. "If kids are worried about getting caught, they'll
make better decisions."

Board President Bruce Smith said he agrees with the testing, which, if
approved, would start this fall.

"Having seen what I feel is an overall success at the high school, I
am very much in support of doing it at the middle school," he said.

Hackettstown High School has been conducting drug tests for two years.
In that time, only one student has tested positive for drugs out of
about 210 tests.

The high school program requires all students involved in
extracurricular activities or who park their car on campus to be
tested. The middle school program would be entirely voluntary.

Board member Michael Sedita he has problems with the middle school
testing because there are no studies showing the effectiveness of drug
testing at middle schools.

"This is a total experiment," he said.

High School Principal Chris Steffner disputed that, saying drug
testing has proven to be an effective deterrent to drug use in high
schools, the military and the workplace, so it will do the same in
middle schools.

A majority of both middle school parents and students support the
testing, Meyer said. Out of 162 students who voted on the program --
about 41 percent of the school population -- 69 percent supported it,
he said.

Federal funds will pay for the middle school testing. For this school
year and the next two, Hackettstown will receive $90,000 in annual
federal funding to pay for drug testing and research.

At the high school, the funding will go toward drug testing more
students -- up to 30 percent of the testing pool -- and testing for
steroids and alcohol.

Some board members had concerns about the testing for alcohol, which
they said is not illegal to consume. They said the district should
consider a policy that allows for some leeway for people who allow
their children to drink at home.

"We want to make sure you're on real clear legal grounds before you go
through with it," board member Bob Jones said.

The board has already approved alcohol testing, Smith said, but will
work to add more specifics to the policy.