SCHOOL CORPORATIONS' DRUG TESTING POLICIES VARY

With the Supreme Court's blessing, schools are allowed to randomly
test students for drugs.

Not every school corporation in Kosciusko County does it exactly the
same, but they all do it for the same reason - to give students
another reason to just say "no."

"We do (drug testing) very minimally at the present time," said Dr.
Tom Edington, Wawasee School Corp. "The only time we do it is if we
know there's a situation involving a student, or a few students,
involving drugs, and if they agree to be tested randomly for drugs."

Edington said it's done on a case by case basis. Sometimes, he said, a
parent is recommended to buy an over-the-counter drug test to
administer to their child if they have a concern about their student.

There's no separate testing policy for athletes. Edington said Wawasee
has talked about it, but not instituted anything as they want to treat
all students the same.

Asked if there's any drug problem at Wawasee, Edington said Wawasee
School Corp. is a close-knit family community so the school
corporation would hear about any problem if there were one.

He said there have been some incidents with students, generally at the
high school level. They've been handled on a case-by-case basis, he
said. The high school reflects the larger society at large, he said,
and they deal with any problems that arise.

"The students at the school do a nice job of policing one another,"
Edington said.

He said students will report things to school personnel because they
don't want to be in trouble or see other students get into trouble.

Whitko Community Schools Superintendent Steve Clason said Whitko
doesn't really have a big problem with drugs.

"It's just not something that's here," he said.

Whitko adopted a policy last year to conduct random drug tests. This
school year is the first year for it.

"We do random drug testing for anyone in extracurricular activities
and student drivers," Clason said.

"It's definitely random. We pull a few samples each
month."

Clason said students are assigned numbers and a random number
generator pulls out numbers of students for a test.

"The intent was to be able to give students another reason to say
'no'," said Clason. "That was our sole intent."

If a student does test positive for drugs, it also is an opportunity
for Whitko to get that student help.

Kirk Doehrmann, Tippecanoe Valley High School principal, said Valley
is in its third year of implementing its random drug testing program.

"We've had very few problems with it. We started the program as a way
for students to say 'no'," Doehrmann said.

Each year, school corporations must make an annual report to the
Indiana Department of Education. That report includes the number of
expulsions and suspensions involving drugs, weapons or alcohol.

In 2006-07, Whitko High School reported having seven expulsions or
suspensions involving drugs, weapons or alcohol; three in 2007-08; and
nine in 2008-09. Clason said in 2008-09, one of those incidents
involved a student bringing a paintball gun to school, but because it
involved a "gun," it had to be reported.

Wawasee High School reported four expulsions or suspensions involving
drugs, weapons or alcohol in 2006-07; three in 2007-08; and 20 in
2008-09, according to its report.

Tippecanoe Valley High School had eight expulsions or suspensions
involving drugs, weapons or alcohol in 2006-07; four in 2007-08; and
nine in 2008-09.

At Warsaw Community High School, there were 41 expulsions or
suspensions involving drugs, weapons or alcohol in 2006-07; 25 in
2007-08; and 14 in 2008-09, according to its report.

Dave Anson, assistant principal at WCHS who heads the random drug
testing program, said those numbers reflect students who might come to
school under the influence or in possession of a drug, alcohol or
weapon. That is separate from the random drug testing program at WCHS.

"(Our) random drug testing policy is not tied in to school discipline.
It's tied in to school privileges," said Anson.

There are four reasons the drug testing is conducted. First and
foremost, said Anson, is to identify students with problems.

"Secondly, we want to ensure the safety of students in the building as
well as students out in the community working. Third, we want to give
kids a reason to say 'no'. ... Fourth, just for the sheer prevention
of drug use," Anson said.