DRUGS IN SCHOOLS

Oklahoman Editorial More districts opt for random tests MORE school
districts across Oklahoma are wisely considering whether their
students should be screened for drug use. Thanks to a landmark
judicial ruling involving the Tecumseh Public Schools, districts
across the United States have the right to conduct random testing.
Most schools won't, and that's fine. But it's apparent to us that
unacceptable levels of drug use in many schools leave administrators
little choice but to look at every alternative available.

Just this month three districts in Oklahoma -- Yukon, Bartlesville and
Piedmont -- have made headlines for this very reason. Yukon has been
aggressive, implementing random tests of students participating in
extracurricular activities, plus much more. As The Oklahoman's Sarah
Kahne reported this week, Yukon schools put drug dogs in the halls,
established an anonymous tip line for students to report illicit
activity, and have hiked drug and alcohol awareness programs at every
grade level.

Yukon got more serious after a drug-related death of a 15-year-old
last spring. Since then the crackdown has prompted numerous
suspensions and uncovered contraband on school property.

Meantime, Bartlesville schools reversed course from an earlier
decision, and decided to begin implementation of a policy similar to
Yukon's, to randomly test students involved in school-related
activities. In Piedmont, Superintendent Mike Hyatt hopes the school
board there will implement a screening policy soon; board members
recently heard a presentation from the same private group that screens
students at nearby Yukon.

Will more districts do the same? It's hard to say at this point. A
survey conducted by The Oklahoman in August on the eve of the new
school year showed that drug testing at the state's largest school
districts is almost nil. Reasons cited centered on the costs of doing
so, and that's understandable, particularly in big, cash-strapped
districts like Oklahoma City and Tulsa.

School boards and administrators also know that drug tests could be a
mixed bag. What research has been done since the U.S. Supreme Court
upheld the Tecumseh schools' testing policy in 2002 is unclear on the
effectiveness of random tests at schools.

But we supported the Tecumseh schools several years ago, and do so as
well today with districts in Oklahoma that have taken advantage of the
high court's ruling. We don't think random drug tests should be
mandated from Oklahoma City or Washington, D.C. But individual
districts should have the legal means to try to curb drug abuse in
ways that best fit the school communities they serve. For some
schools, random testing gives them just that.