DRUG TESTING PITCH SPLITS SCHOOL PANEL

HAVERHILL -- Two School Committee members say they will fight random drug
testing of Haverhill High students if it is recommended by a task force
studying drug use at the school.

Committee members Kerry Fitzgerald and Glen Lewandowski said they are
against the testing proposed by Committeeman Scott Wood Jr. When discussing
the proposal last night, the committee unanimously created the task force
to study the drug problem at the high school, but stopped short of favoring
random testing. "I don't support random testing," Fitzgerald said. "I would
only consider (drug testing) for a student who started acting unusual or if
there was a noticeable problem."

Despite the opposition last night, Wood refused to take random drug testing
off the table.

"Looking away or pretending the problem doesn't exist doesn't help
anybody," he said. "This is to weigh the pros and cons and determine the
costs and benefits (of drug testing)."

Wood said he proposed the task force and the random testing because he
believes drug use is on the rise at the high school, based on his own
knowledge and results of a student survey. His proposal calls for students
in sports and after-school activities to be tested because the U.S. Supreme
Court in 2002 gave that power to school districts. There is no case law on
drug testing an entire student body, he said.

Wood said he will begin assembling names of potential task force members
immediately and report back to the committee with at least 10 names. He
said he is looking for parents, students, teachers and law enforcement
officials. Last night two Haverhill High student athletes said Wood's
proposal targets the wrong students.

Christine Fitzpatrick, 18, student council president and a captain of the
swim team, offered this scenario: "You would ask a kid who gets A's and B's
on their report card, is a member of student council and plays a sport to
urinate in a plastic cup? That's degrading. I feel better that this is just
a proposal, but I wanted to speak out immediately to nip it in the bud."
Student Matt Plumb, a member of the track team, agrees with Wood that there
is a drug problem at the high school. But he said the committee is
targeting the wrong people.

"Athletes and kids involved in after-school activities are not the ones
doing drugs," he said.

Wood, a 2002 graduate of Haverhill High, believes drugs like heroin,
cocaine and Ecstasy are more available to students today than ever before.
He said the 2003 Youth Risk Survey, which showed 49 percent of Haverhill
High students said they have used marijuana and 17 percent have used drugs
like heroin and cocaine, proves he is right.

Fitzpatrick, the student council president, said students lie on the
survey. "I don't believe the survey is reliable," she said. "We get a 21/2
page survey at 7 in the morning with questions like 'Have you ever shot up
heroin or smoked crack?' The majority of kids think it's funny, lie on it
and don't take it seriously."

Committeeman Robert Gilman said the committee should let the task force
investigate the extent of the drug problem and worry about "theoretical and
constitutional issues" related to drug testing later if it is recommended.
Committeeman Shaun Toohey praised Wood for bringing the issue to a head. He
also suggested students may be just as likely to under-report drug use on
the risk survey as they are to over-report it.

Mayor James J. Fiorentini, who arrived at last night's meeting after the
committee voted to form the task force, has said he has seen no evidence
that drug use is on the rise at the high school. He also said the city does
not have money to pay for testing. Wood said he believes the city could
seek grant money to administer the tests.