BOARD MAY VOTE MONDAY ON DRUG TESTS

The Alamance-Burlington School System could vote Monday night on a proposal
to require drug tests for students who participate in school-related
activities.

The policy would require students who play sports, participate in band or
chorus, or are part of school 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.

School board members have reported generally positive reaction to the
proposal. Tom Manning, the board's chairman, said he's heard some comments
that the policy should apply to all students, or that teachers and
administrators should also be tested.

Among students, "it depends on who you ask," said Mark Meacham, an English
teacher at Williams High School who also teaches the school's journalism
class. An article in an issue of the school's news-paper from last semester
reported that some students opposed the testing because of privacy
concerns. Students interviewed at Williams this week said they don't have a
problem with the proposal.

"It's a shame that they have to do it, but it is necessary," said J.T.
Cole, a Williams junior.

"It's a privilege to be involved in after-school activities anyway," said
Mary Black, another junior.

Students in Robert Flanagan's mass media class at Southern Alamance High
School said the policy has been heavily discussed among students. "I think
a lot of students think it's a waste of time and money," said Bailey
Strickland. "The money could be spent on so many other things." The system
projects the drug tests would cost about $25,000 each year. One Southern
student questioned singling out those who are participating in activities.

"If they're going to do it, they need to do it for everybody," said Casey
Myatt. The school system's central offices received a few e-mails opposing
the proposed policy, as well as a few e-mails or calls in support of drug
testing. People who sent e-mails offered different combinations of
opinions. One person opposed drug testing for students, saying it would
violate their privacy and would target the students least likely to use
drugs. The same person said school system employees should be tested. Ann
Majestic, the school system's attorney, said testing students who
participate in sports or other activities has been upheld in the legal
system. She indicated testing all students would not be permissible.
Supreme Court rulings have allowed for a lesser expectation of privacy for
students who take part in activities that aren't required and come with
rules for participants, Majestic said.

MANNING HAS SAID he'd like the system to look into whether it can require
preemployment testing for teachers and other employees. The only employees
currently tested are bus drivers and others who drive system-owned vehicles
or operate equipment.

Majestic said she's not convinced there is a strong legal precedent to
support that type of testing.

Some schools systems in the country do pre-employment testing of teachers
and other employees. Kathie Sills, director of human resources for the
school system in Orange County, Fla., said the tests are a condition of
employment there.

Sills said the practice is common among school systems in the state. Any
testing of teachers already working for the system would take place only if
there were suspicions of drug use, she said.

Sills said positive tests are rare, but there are a few each year. She has
been with the school system since 1996 and said some employees fired in
connection with drug use have threatened action against the system, but not
those whose employment offer is rescinded because of a positive drug test.
"We've never had a challenge on the front end," she said. Local school
board member Steve Van Pelt has suggested that the system consider whether
steroid tests should be given to athletes as an effort to prevent them from
using substances that could harm them. The school system in Polk County,
Fla., began those tests in January. Audrey Kelley-Fritz, an administrator
with the system, said the tests cost about $100 each, with the costs
currently covered by a federal grant. That's more than five times the cost
of the test given for illegal drugs, she said. Kelley-Fritz said none of
about 100 steroid tests done so far have come back positive, although
results haven't come back for some of the tests. She isn't sure the system
is the only one in the country testing for steroids, but she has not heard
of any others.