BOARD OKS RANDOM DRUG TESTS FOR PARKING PRIVILEGES AT SOUTH

EAST SPENCER -- Members of the Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education gave
approval Monday to random drug testing of students who buy parking permits
at South Rowan High School.

The policy takes effect in August, at the start of the coming school year.

Under the policy, any student who buys a parking permit agrees to be tested
for illegal drugs if his or her name is chosen at random. The names of five
students per month will be selected for the tests, which involve urinalysis
at a local medical clinic.

Students who test positive for illegal drugs -- as well as those who refuse
the test -- lose their privilege to park on campus for 90 days.

Dr. Ron Turbyfill, principal at South Rowan, told board members at their
monthly meeting Monday that he'd heard almost no criticism of the proposed
policy.

He said what little negative feedback he'd heard came from those who felt
the testing should involve a greater number of students.

Turbyfill noted that students don't have to participate in the program if
they don't wish. Those who choose not to participate simply don't purchase
a parking permit.

The matter of random drug testing of students was discussed at a meeting at
South Rowan on March 1. Turbyfill said he mailed more than 1,300 letters to
parents inviting them to the meeting, and he was surprised at how little
opposition there was to the testing.

David Cress, a teacher at South Rowan and chairman of the school
improvement team, said he'd expected faculty support of the policy.

What surprised him, he said, was the number of students who also backed the
random drug tests.

"I think it's something the students welcome as a chance to combat a
problem in the community," Cress said.

He said he put the drug testing in perspective by asking his students how
many of them had jobs. Then he asked how many had been tested for drugs
before they were hired.

"Hands shot upward," Cress reported.

Turbyfill and Cress said students buy about 600 parking permits each year
at South Rowan.

Though the drug testing policy received the unanimous backing of board
members, they turned down -- for the time being, at least -- a request by
Turbyfill to fund the annual $1,250 cost of the testing. That request was
rejected by a 4-3 margin.

Even board members who voted against the funding said they weren't
necessarily opposed to paying for the program. What they said they'd like
is more time to examine the issue before making the system financially
indebted.

Several questioned if the board should set the precedent of funding one
school's drug testing before other schools decided if they were going to
initiate such programs.

Board members Bryce Beard, Sharon Deal, Dr. Jim Emerson and Kay Wright
Norman voted against funding the program until they have a chance to
consider it further. Members Linda Freeze, Kyle Huffman and Jim Shuping
voted for the funding.

As soon as the matter was voted down, Shuping -- the board's most vocal
proponent of random drug testing -- asked if they'd consider a corporate
sponsor for such tests.

Then Shuping, the owner of Shuping Superior Graphics, volunteered to fund
up to $6,250 -- the price of a year's worth of random drug tests at every
high school in the county -- for one year.

"It's good for the kids," Shuping said. Then he laughed and continued,
"Take my money."

The board voted 6-1 to take Shuping up on his offer, with Norman casting
the dissenting vote.

Shuping pushed hard Monday for a more thorough method of random drug
testing, one that would involve everyone involved with the schools. Shuping
said he'd like to see principals, teachers and even board members tested.

"Why is there no system-wide drug testing?" he asked. "Why not set the
example?"

Shuping noted that no drug tests are required of board members. "We're not
(tested) and we should be," he said.

Administrators replied that anyone hired by the schools must first pass a
pre-employment drug test. Thereafter, everyone licensed to operate a bus
must agree to be included in a pool where names are chosen for random drug
tests. That's a state regulation.

Shuping said he'd like to see random drug tests of educators expanded.

"We could look into it," replied Superintendent Dr. Wiley Doby. "We're sort
of taking it a step at a time."

Kerianne Springer is a senior at South Rowan who'll be graduating in May,
so she won't be affected by the implementation of the random drug testing.

But she said almost all of the students she's spoken to think the policy is
a good one.

"Driving is a big responsibility," said Springer, who'll be enrolling at
Wake Forest University in the fall. "I feel this is an excellent step."