BOARD DELAYS DRUG TESTING VOTE

The Alamance-Burlington Board of Education has delayed a vote on requiring
drug tests for high school students who participate in extracurricular
activities.

Board members agreed to the delay Monday night after hearing several
comments from people who either opposed the policy or questioned whether it
needed more work.

"I don't think it would hurt us one bit to continue listening to people,"
said board member Mary Alice Hinshaw, who proposed delaying a vote until at
least the board's April 25 meeting.

Hinshaw said she'd like to see "a broad-based consensus in our community
either to do this or not to do it."

The policy would require high school students who take part in sports,
music or clubs to submit to random drug testing.

Students would be suspended for three months for the first offense. The
second offense would mean suspension for a year, and the third offense
would ban the student for the rest of high school.

Eight people spoke about the drug policy during the public comment portion
of the meeting. While not all the speakers were completely opposed to the
policy, no one spoke enthusiastically in favor of it. Some people who spoke
said students who are involved in activities are less likely to be using
drugs than those who are not.

"I don't know if we're targeting the right group," said Valerie Graves, the
mother of students at Western Alamance High School.

Graves also said that "taking a drug test can be a humiliating experience"
and expressed concerns that students be treated with dignity. Rachel
Harper, a Williams High School student, was the only student to speak
during the meeting. She said banning students from activities if they
tested positive for drugs could create more problems for teenagers who are
struggling.

"You can't kick us out of something that's giving us a positive influence,"
she said. Some speakers expressed concerns about the suspicionbased testing
mentioned in the policy. Ann Majestic, the school board's attorney, said
the system already does suspicion-based testing.

Wayne Beam, the system's director of school administration, said that
testing is done with consent from parents.

Despite negative comments during the board meeting, some school board
members said the great majority of comments they have heard are in support
of the policy.

"We have had a lot of support" for the policy, said board member Jackie
Cole, who said people feel "it's overdue."

Tom Manning, the board's chairman, said comments he has heard run 4 to 1 or
even 5 to 1 in favor of the policy.

"If anything, the comments are we aren't going far enough," he said.
Superintendent Jim Merrill said the staff will continue looking into
suggestions that teachers and other system employees be subject either to
pre-employment testing or random on-the-job testing. Any proposals that
result from that research would be separate from the policy that is
currently proposed.

About 400 employees in the system are already subject to drug testing
because they drive vehicles or operate equipment. Merrill said that
includes "me and most of my administration."

Merrill said the system could also look further at testing for steroid use
among athletes, or reinstating alcohol to the drug testing policy for
students in all extracurricular activities.