2 MORGAN COUNTY STUDENTS TEST POSITIVE FOR MARIJUANA

Morgan County Schools had its first failures on Sept. 1 in the history of
its random drug-testing program, officials said Thursday.

According to Billy Hopkins, drug testing coordinator, two students tested
positive for marijuana on the first test day of the program's second year.
The county tests high school students who participate in competitive
extracurricular activities for illegal drugs, alcohol and marijuana.

"We knew that if the tests were doing their jobs, eventually we were going
to have a student test positive," Superintendent Don Murphy told the school
board.

Hopkins said the school system will suspend the students from activities
until they pass a drug test.

They must attend substance abuse counseling for eight weeks at Morgan
County System of Services. The system will test them again during random
screenings for the rest of the year.

"We've already talked to the students and parents, and put the policy into
action," Hopkins said.

Hopkins said the students' parents will have to pay for additional $30 drug
tests and the counseling. The system bases the cost of counseling on the
parents' income.

Morgan County tested 81 students, divided almost equally at 41 male and 40
females. Band was the largest group tested as 26 took the urine screening.