BPS CONSIDERS DRUG TESTING POLICY

An issue that has been kicked around for more than a year by the
Bartlesville Public Schools Board of Education will be brought back to the
forefront next week.

The district will conduct a community drug forum at 7 p.m. Monday in the
new Bartlesville High School Fine Arts Center.

According to BPS officials, the forum will address a proposed student drug
testing policy. The policy would require drug testing for students involved
in extra-curricular activities, similar to programs currently used in other
state school districts.

"The purpose of the forum is to allow the community to receive information
about the proposed policy and to give input to the school board about the
concept of drug testing of students," said Superintendent Dr. Gary W. Quinn
in a news release issued on Tuesday. "We want the community to tell us
their views on drug testing as a deterrent to drug use by our students."

Following a recent Supreme Court decision upholding the constitutionality
of the Tecumseh School Districts' random testing policy, the Bartlesville
district began exploring the possibility of implementing a plan to randomly
test Bartlesville Mid High and high school students involved in
extra-curricular competition in 2003.

At that time, former BPS Board President Tom Carlisle indicated that the
proposal was not intended to trap or punish those involved in drug use, but
rather to reduce drug and alcohol use and get treatment for students who
needed it.

The board eventually voted down the proposed policy in August of 2003 as
opponents questioned the cost-effectiveness of random testing and how its
success could be measured. Board supporters maintained that random testing
as implemented in other state districts, including Tecumseh, Jenks and
Broken Arrow, provided an effective deterrent.

Monday night's program will include a presentation by Board President Barry
W. Lowe on results of a student survey of Bartlesville Public School students.

An earlier survey conducted by former Safe and Drug Free Schools program
coordinator Bridgette Laramie -- the results of which were cited by the
board in 2003 -- revealed that 58 percent of seniors reported drinking more
than a few sips of alcohol and 47 percent admitted to getting drunk or
high. Another 34 percent reported having smoked marijuana or hashish. Ten
percent said they had used cocaine.

The same survey also revealed that 50 percent of high school students said
marijuana was easily available at the school site, and 45 percent said beer
was also readily available.

On Monday night, Tony Dillingham, athletic director at Jenks Public
Schools, will discuss that district's current drug testing program and its
effectiveness. Also, Jerry Richardson, an attorney with the law firm,
Rosentein, Fist and Ringold of Tulsa, will discuss legalities concerning a
student drug testing program.

The public will also have an opportunity at the forum to sign in and
address the school board on potential student drug testing.

In June of 2002, the U.S. Supreme Court broadened the authority of public
schools to test students for illegal drugs. The court ruled to allow random
drug tests for all middle and high school students participating in
competitive extra-curricular activities. The ruling greatly expanded the
scope of school drug testing.