PARENTS SHOW SUPPORT FOR DRUG TESTING

Most Endorse Program Linking Parking Permits, Random Tests

LANDIS -- In general, South Rowan High School parents are not against
random drug testing of their children.

Most of the parents actually would favor a system that could randomly
test as many of the high school students as possible.

"I want everybody tested," Kathy Apple said.

But the cost and legalities of drug-testing all students make that a
proposal that's not on the table at South.

Instead, the School Improvement Team -- made up of teachers, staff,
parents and students -- has recommended that random drug testing be
tied to the $25 parking permits issued to students for the 2005-2006
school year.

About 75 parents and Principal Ron Turbyfill debated that proposal for
almost two hours Tuesday night in the school's media center.

Here's how it will work, if approved.

Any student who purchases a campus parking permit would agree to
participate in random drug testing. Each month of the school year, the
administration will choose five student parking permit numbers at random.

Those students will be transported from school to a local medical
clinic, where each will give a urine sample.

There's no charge to the students or parents for the first test.
Parents would be informed if their child's test is negative for
illegal drugs. Students testing positive would be given a second test
at the parents' expense.

If the second test is positive, parents are notified, and the
student's parking permit is revoked for 90 school days. If a student
refuses the first or second urinalysis, his or her parking permit is
revoked automatically for 90 days.

Students with positive test results also would be in violation of the
Rowan-Salisbury School System's Code of Conduct Substance Abuse
policies, making their suspension from school likely.

In addition, the school's resource officer, K.D. Honeycutt of the
Landis Police Department, could determine that formal charges should
be filed against the student.

The program would randomly test about 50 students in a school year at
a total cost of roughly $1,250. South Rowan High has about 1,700
students. Of those, 650 have parking permits.

Turbyfill said what he heard overall Tuesday night kept the proposal
alive in his view.

Except for its own volunteer random drug-testing program called
CHOICES, South Rowan High would be entering uncharted waters in Rowan
County with its drug-testing proposal tied to parking permits.

"I can't see a better way to start," said one mother, who has two boys
at the high school. She said a drug-testing program tied to cars would
definitely get the attention of her children.

"Something's better than nothing," another parent agreed.

Turbyfill said operating a motor vehicle is one of the greatest
responsibilities given to a young person. Linking the random drug
testing to the parking permits would put students on notice, he said.
They automatically will be better informed and more aware of the
responsibilities that go with being behind the wheel of a 3,000-pound
vehicle, he added.

And if it forces kids to talk about responsibility and attach
something they cherish -- driving -- to an excuse for not using drugs,
then the program will be a success, no matter how many permits are
revoked, Turbyfill said.

Or not revoked.

"This is a step," Turbyfill said.

Supporters of the proposal also point to the wide cross-section of
students it would take in.

Parents had a flood of questions and opinions about the School
Improvement Team's idea, which could be presented formally to the
Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education for approval later this month.

"I like the drug testing," said Cecelia Patterson, who has a freshman
at South Rowan. "I just don't like the way you're going to do it.
There's got to be a better way."

Patterson said she would be opposed to her child's being taken off
campus for the drug testing. She also pushed for finding a way to
randomly test more than 50 students a year. Several parents floated
the idea of also testing all students participating in after-school
activities, including sports.

Apple, who has a junior student at South, asked why the school
couldn't have a random testing program in place for all students, not
just the kids who drive, who are mostly juniors and seniors. She said
she wanted everybody off dope, not just the drivers.

Turbyfill explained that any random testing program needed what an
attorney had described to him as an "opt out." If a student thought
his rights were being violated by the drug testing, he could opt out
and not purchase a parking permit.

Honeycutt, the resource officer, explained that driving is not a
right, but a privilege. He said he had his doubts about the legality
of the random drug testing tied to parking permits when he first heard
about it, but acknowledged that many of his questions were answered.

"Let's do it," he told the parents.

Honeycutt added that the program would be a deterrent and is really an
effort to help the kids.

Tina Leben, a registered nurse and teacher at South, agreed. The
program isn't meant to trap and hurt students, she said.

"We really care about them," she added. "We love them."

Leben has been the chief faculty person behind the CHOICES program,
which South established in 1999. Parents and students of all grades
sign up voluntarily for CHOICES, under which the participating
students agree to put themselves up for random drug testing.

Every month, seven to 14 students in CHOICES are taken off campus for
random testing at a local medical center. If a student's test comes
back positive, he or she is not suspended, but they are guided toward
help and intervention.

Leben says CHOICES has served as a deterrent and gives kids who
participate a reason to say no to their peers when offered drugs.

The process is discreet, it doesn't embarrass the kids, and the
testing is done quickly and professionally, Turbyfill said.

Apple said the CHOICES program should be emphasized to students
because it would help address non-drivers.

Several parents had problems with a student's being suspended under
one random drug test (with the parking permit) and not under CHOICES.
But Turbyfill, Leben and Honeycutt stressed that the school could not
ignore evidence that a student was driving to school under the influence.

One parent asked if a student driver will have to pass another drug
test before the revoked parking permit would be reissued.

Turbyfill acknowledged that the improvement team hadn't considered
that and maybe should have.

"It just seems reasonable," the mother said.

If a student violates the substance abuse policy, he or she
automatically goes through a chemical dependency assessment as part of
a school intervention process.

Luke Hamaty, who has two boys attending South, said he was wary of the
whole proposal. If he thinks his children should be tested, as a
parent, he will have them tested himself, Hamaty said.

"I'm skeptical anytime you start pushing the limits (of someone's
rights)," Hamaty said. "How far do you go?"

Hamaty said he wanted to see research and data that would show that
this is an effective program.

"What I see here is a placebo," he said.