COUNTY CLOSER TO TESTING STUDENTS

A proposed program to drug test students in the DeKalb County School
System will now go to the school board.

The system's policy sub-committee on student drug testing approved
the policy Wednesday. It went to the system's full policy committee
Thursday which forwarded it to DeKalb County Superintendent Charles
Warren.

Warren said he will present the final draft to the school board when
it meets Thursday.

Warren said the board would review and possibly discuss the policy
during next week's meeting. He said an actual vote would come at the
board's meeting in June.

The proposed drug-testing program is patterned after one recently
adopted for use in the Fort Payne City School System.

Liz Wear, director of the Partnership for a Drug Free DeKalb,
recently secured a $500,000 three-year grant to establish student
drug testing in both the city and county school systems.

The grant calls for testing students, in seventh through 12th grade,
involved in competitive interscholastic extracurricular activities.
The city board will test students who drive on campus.