HUNTINGTON CONSIDERS DRUG-TESTING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Huntington ISD board members are considering implementing
drug-testing of high school students who participate in
extracurricular activities or who drive vehicles to school.

Trustees, meeting in their regular monthly meeting Monday night, gave
a thumbs-up to gathering community input on the issue, but HISD
Superintendent Dr. Eric Wright said response to the proposal has been
mostly positive.

"I've heard from several people who have shown an interest in the
idea," Wright said. "We will be surveying parents and then we'll
schedule a public hearing to be held before one of our upcoming board
meetings, so that we can get community input there as well.

"But from what I've been able to determine, there seems to be a
consensus in the community in favor of this."

Wright was superintendent of schools for Woodville ISD last year, and
he said it was a very effective measure - both for the students and
in the eyes of the community - to deter any kind of substance usage,
"especially in those kids who wanted to play sports or participate in
other school activities. Or if they had a car and wanted to drive it
to campus," Wright said. "It makes a statement that, 'I really want
to do this or participate in this activity, so I'm going to stay
clean because there's a chance I will be tested.'"

The measure could possibly be approved in time to be implemented for
the start of the 2006-07 school year.