BOE PLANS DRUG TESTING

Students at Stephens County High School who wish to drive to school
or participate in extracurricular activities likely will be subject
to random drug screenings when classes reconvene for the 2010-2011 school year.

The board of education is in the process of adopting a new drug
screening policy that would require students and parents to sign a
consent form before they would be "allowed to participate in any
interscholastic activity, extracurricular activity, or to apply for a
parking permit at Stephens County High School," states the proposed policy.

The tests would occur at various times of the year determined by the
principal, athletic director and laboratory conducting the drug tests.

The policy indicates that, "the random selection process will be
coordinated by the drug testing coordinator," who would be appointed
by the principal and that a numerical selection process would be used
and that student names and identities would be unknown until the
numerical selection process was completed.

Penalties for testing positive would begin with temporary suspension
from the activity the student was participating in and driving privileges.

A second positive test would result in a year suspension from the
activities, and a third positive test would result in a permanent suspension.

Testing positive would not result in any academic penalties, the policy stated.

Superintendent Sherrie Whiten said the policy should be ready for
adoption within a month.

The drug screening program will be paid for through donations by
local businesses and organizations who were told some $15,000 was
needed to start.

Among those who have agreed to assist with the funding are Patterson
Pump, Bowen and Watson, 1st Citizens Bank, Morgan Concrete and Toccoa
First United Methodist Church.

Former city commissioner Ferrell Morgan spearheaded the fund drive
which has raised some $12,000 to date.

The school system has a link to review the policy on its website at
http://www.stephenscountyschools.com/boe.

In other school business:

The board, at its meeting Tuesday, also adopted the work calendar for
the 2010-2011 school year.

The dates of Aug. 16-18 were removed from the work schedule as three
furlough days were planned for all school staff and put in the school budget.

"We will be shut down all across the system for those days," said Whiten.

In other business at the board's meeting:

Linda Azain was hired as the system's nutrition director.

Sales tax receipts funding new high school construction were $291,885
for the month of May - up $12,000 from the same time last year which
was $278,397. Tom Law contributed to this report.