OFFICIALS: DRUG TESTS A DETERRENT

Few pupils participating in extracurricular activities in Cherokee County,
Kan., schools have tested positive for drugs over the past two years -
something school officials say demonstrates that the tests work.

The Baxter Springs, Galena, Riverton and Columbus school districts have
established programs that test pupils in grades seven through 12 who
participate in activities including sports, cheerleading squads, dance
teams, chess clubs and school dances. Pupils must take part in the program
if they want to participate in any of the activities, so school officials
say nearly every pupil signs up to be part of the drug-testing pool.

Each district hired companies to conduct the random urine testing.

Violations result in suspension from the activities for a period, depending
on how many previous offenses a pupil has. Under the policies, a third
offense results in a pupil's suspension from activities as long as the
child is enrolled in the district. Pupils also are required to pass a drug
test before returning to the activities. The violations do not affect the
pupil's participation in school or the pupil's grades.

In Columbus, four students tested positive last school year and two tested
positive this year, said Superintendent Ken Jones. He said two other
students last school year and one student this year signed up for the
program and refused to take the test when their names were drawn randomly.
Jones said that also resulted in suspensions from activities.

Columbus was the first school district in the county to adopt the policy.

"Over the years, we have had relatively few numbers of students test
positive," Jones said. "The evidence is either the program is working
successfully or kids using drugs are getting lucky and not getting chosen.
We prefer to think the program is serving as a deterrent."

In Galena, four students tested positive for drugs this school year and
three tested positive last year. Superintendent Brian Smith said 215 pupils
were tested each year. He said only a few pupils don't take part in the
program.

"I like to think we really didn't have a huge drug problem before the
program started," Smith said. "I'm sure it's serving as somewhat of a
preventative measure."

The Riverton School District tested five middle-school pupils and five
high-school students each week of the school year, said high-school
Principal Todd Berry. He said two pupils tested positive last school year
and four tested positive this year.

"I believe the policy is doing what it was intended to do, which is give
students a reason to say 'no' to illegal drugs," Berry said. "It gives them
the ability to battle peer pressure by giving them the opportunity to say
'no.'"

Berry said one positive test is one too many.

"Given the number of tests that we have administered these past two years,
we feel good that we've had so few," he said.

In Baxter Springs, three pupils tested positive this school year, compared
with five positive tests last year.

Jamie Carlisle, the high-school principal, said every pupil participated in
the program last year, and this year 97 percent of pupils took part. He
said between seven and 15 pupils were tested two to four times a month.

Carlisle said he thinks the program is working by arming pupils with
ammunition when faced with peer temptations.

"This is just another way of demonstrating we have good students, when they
are given the opportunity to do the right thing," Carlisle said.