ALAMANCE SCHOOLS WILL DO DRUG TESTS FOR ATHLETICS, BAND

BURLINGTON -- School spirit is no longer enough for Alamance County
students who want to participate in sports or other extracurricular activities.

Now, school officials want something more: a clean drug test.

On Monday, the Alamance-Burlington school board voted to begin random drug
testing of all high school students involved in extracurricular activities.
That means everyone from football players to band members.

School officials say the policy is aimed at deterring drug use.

"This is not going to solve all our drug problems, but I think it's a piece
to the puzzle," board member Jackie Cole said.

The policy, which passed unanimously, affects most of the high school
students in the county. About 70 percent take part in extracurricular
activities.

A number of parents and community members spoke against the measure, with
some hinting that there were racial issues in the policy.

Some questioned the particulars of the policy, while others said they
believe it could be enforced unequally.

Patsy Simpson, chairwoman of the education committee for the
Alamance/Burlington NAACP, said that among the African American community
there is a lack of trust in the school district.

The new policy will not help that situation, she said.

"It's creating a negative climate," Simpson said.

Students who test positive will be banned from extracurricular activities
for three school months and will receive information about drug counseling.
Subsequent positive tests increase the penalty, and a third positive result
will bring a permanent ban on activities outside the classroom.

Positive tests will not result in other punishment, and the school district
will not share the results of the tests with law enforcement.

The testing will cost about $25,000 annually.

Random testing in schools is uncommon in North Carolina, but it is done.

While Guilford County schools do not perform random testing, those in
Forsyth County do. The school district there has been doing random testing
in extracurricular activities for several years, spokesman Theo Helm said.

Monday's decision in Alamance County represents the latest ripple from the
massive drug sting in 2004 that snared dozens of high school students.

Ultimately, more than 50 people pleaded guilty to felony charges relating
to the sale or delivery of controlled substances.