BOARD OKS DRUG TESTS

Local students will be subjected to random, voluntary drug tests
beginning next school year, the Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education
decided Monday.

Board members voted 6-0 to approve on first reading a list of
recommendations from the school system's Student Drug Testing Task
Force that will be implemented this fall.

Board Vice Chairwoman Kay Wright Norman was absent Monday.

The task force, which is made of school system administrators,
community leaders and board member Dr. Jim Emerson, recommends that
the Choices Program -- a random, voluntary drug testing program -- be
implemented at each high school.

Under the program, students and parents will sign an agreement for
voluntary testing; five students per month from each high school --
or 500 students per year -- will be randomly tested.

The school system will contract Pro Med, which also handles staff
drug tests, to conduct, analyze and keep track of the 10-panel urine
tests and their results.

Students will be screened for a slew of drugs, including
amphetamines, barbiturates, cocaine and marijuana.

Pro Med will release individual test results to parents, students,
principals and intervention specialists, as well as make statistical
data available each year so the school system can measure the
program's effectiveness.

The task force also recommends that all high school students who
request a campus parking permit be required to submit to random drug testing.

In addition, even students who do not participate in the program will
be subject to testing if there is reasonable suspicion, the policy states.

Tim Smith, director of student services and a task force member, said
the plan establishes a standard for principals to follow and makes it
easy for students to participate.

"We really looked at this carefully," he said. "This is a good first step."

Under the proposed policy, schools have a variety of
responsibilities, including promoting participation in the Choices
Program and enforcing program guidelines -- including a 90-day loss
of parking privileges for students who do not participate.

Board member Jim Shuping asked Smith why just five students per
school would be tested each month.

"At that rate, with 6,300 high school kids, you've got a one-in-12
shot of getting a random drug test," he said. "I don't think that's
really going to put enough fear in them."

Smith said the number was based on funding, which is coming from the
school system's 2006-2007 budget.

Pro Med is charging the school system $250 per year, plus a $40
per-hour charge for a Pro Med employee to collect urine samples from
schools and a $35 charge for each 10-panel drug screen.

Any drug screen that tests positive will cost an additional $10.

Board members approved the recommendations mostly as they were
presented, though they asked Smith to make two changes:

* To allow the option to increase the number of students tested if funds allow.

* To revise the plan so it clarifies that students can lose parking
privileges for 90 days.

Smith said the plan was a result of months of hard work, multiple
meetings and the input of school system and community leaders like
police Chief Mark Wilhelm.

"Although it looks simplistic, it wasn't a simple process," Smith said.

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Alan King asked the board to support
high school principals as they put the plan in place.

"Schools will need the help of their personnel," he said. "This is
very time-consuming ... it's got to be done right."