MORE SHOW AT SECOND DRUG-TESTING MEETING

The second public forum on proposed student drug testing drew a
stronger turnout than the first one, attended by only one parent.

About 25 people showed up Tuesday for the second forum at the DeKalb
County Materials/Facilities Center in Rainsville.

The proposed testing program, patterned after one recently adopted
for use in the Fort Payne City School System, includes only students
who are involved in competitive extracurricular activities or who
drive to school. The program sets graduated penalties for violation
that include at least temporary suspensions from those activities.

The proposed program would use a random, computerized selection
method to pick which students are tested on a particular day.

Liz Wear, director of the Partnership for a Drug-Free DeKalb, said
questions Tuesday centered on why all students aren't in the random
pool and also why teachers aren't included. In both cases, Wear said
the answer is that both of those practices would be unconstitutional.

DeKalb County Superintendent Charles Warren said the school board
and its legal representatives are currently looking into what would
- -- and would not -- be allowable as far as testing teachers. Warren
said it is permissible to test new hires and he earlier suggested a
voluntary testing program where teachers could request to be
included as part of the random pool.

However, Warren stressed that teacher testing is a separate issue
from the proposed student drug testing program.

Wear said up to 49 percent of the student population could legally
be placed in the random pool for drug testing. She said the U.S.
Supreme Court has ruled that performing drug tests on an entire
student population is unconstitutional, which is why the program
involves only those students involved in voluntary extracurricular
activities, to include driving to school and parking on campus.