CHICAGO HIGH SCHOOL CONSIDERS REQUIRED DRUG TESTS

CHICAGO -- Multiple choice. Essays. Pop quizzes.

Students at Marist High School may be subjected to yet another test
next school year, but it's one they can prepare for by doing nothing
at all.

Principal Larry Tucker insists a proposed new drug testing policy at
the school isn't geared toward punishing students at the coed Catholic
school in Chicago's Mount Greenwood community.

Instead, he said, drug testing would be an extension of the school's
"family" atmosphere. "Part of our mission is to help kids continue to
make good decisions," he said. "It's part of who we are."

Tucker said he was impressed by the drug-free compliance rates at
other schools in Marist's East Suburban Catholic Conference, whose
principals boast remarkable success rates.

Under the proposal, Marist's entire student body would undergo a drug
test at least once each school year -- during the first semester -- and
possibly again during random tests in the second semester.

The tests, which cost about $45 per session, likely would be taken via
hair follicle samples and administered by Psychemedics Corp., a
Massachusetts-based company that specializes in narcotics testing in
schools and private industry.

The tests would look for traces of marijuana, cocaine, PCP, Ecstasy,
amphetamines and certain classes of prescription drugs, but not steroids.

Marist's faculty would be exempt.

The idea of implementing the policy was kicked around during a
sparsely attended special meeting this week, and its future now rests
with a 20-some person school task force and could be cemented with a
Marist school board vote.

Roberta Hynes is part of that team.

A parent of a 14-year-old Marist freshman, she's backing the proposal
100 percent because "it's such a great benefit for Marist, the
community and children.

"It can give parents relief," she said. " 'Oh, my God, my child is
using,' or 'Oh, thank God they aren't.' "

But the idea of a schoolwide test has been met with opposition,
including a small Facebook group.

As school let out on Friday, many groups of students said they opposed
the testing - not because they take drugs but because the testing
seems costly and unnecessary.

Some students said most of their peers don't take hard drugs, if they
take them at all. And what substances do get used, such as chewing
tobacco and alcohol, probably wouldn't show up on test results anyway,
they said.

"Maybe they should just test suspected students," 16-year-old
sophomore Kevin Kelly said.

"It's not worth it," 15-year-old freshman Chris Jackson said. "My
parents aren't happy about it, either."

But many parents in the Marist community are supporting the
proposal.

Therese Gray, whose 18-year-old son will have graduated by the time
the tests would start, said she backs the testing, despite any privacy
issues.

"Drugs and alcohol are illegal, so is it invading my child's' privacy?
When it comes to my child, it probably isn't," she said. "It means my
child's safe at school."