DRUG TESTING OF STUDENTS NOT ON RADAR IN DISTRICT

Seventeen-year-old Nat Wells doesn't think much about the idea of testing
students for drugs.

Such testing -- random or otherwise -- isn't part of the Lawrence school
district's policy. Even if it was, Wells said he didn't think he'd have a
problem with it.

"It may be a good idea for athletes because of performance-enhancing drugs,"
said Wells, a member of the Lawrence High School golf team. "There aren't
really performance enhancing drugs for golf."

But for more than two years, school districts across the nation have had the
green light to test students who participate in competitive after-school
activities or teams. That means anyone from the school's top student athlete
to the kid operating the audio-visual equipment may be subject to random
testing.

It's unknown how many districts or schools in Kansas are testing students.
The Kansas State Department of Education doesn't collect that type of
information.

But many schools are getting involved in drug testing. The U.S. Department
of Education offers grants specifically to cover costs associated with
student drug tests.

School districts in Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland and
Texas have been awarded the grants. All of the recipients indicated they
wanted to do student testing in hopes of deterring students from using
drugs.

Lawrence school board President Leni Salkind said she couldn't recall
whether drug testing of students was something the board had discussed. For
the board to look at taking such action, she said, people in the community
or school administrators would have to see a need.

'Set the tone'

Lawrence High School Principal Steve Nilhas and Free State High School
Principal Joe Snyder both said they wanted to prevent drug abuse. But they
said they would consider drug testing only if teachers or coaches thought
there was a problem in the school.

Both said they thought the district's current policy was working.

Currently, there are drug prevention specialists in schools across the
district. Lawrence schools also start early to educate students about drug
abuse. Nilhas said such tactics have shown positive results.

"I think we've gone through cycles in terms of drug issues," Snyder said.
"The community and the board have pretty clearly set the tone as to what
they expect, and I think it has worked well for us."

Nilhas also said that while the U.S. Supreme Court has said districts and
schools could test for drugs, it doesn't mean an individual person's rights
shouldn't be taken into account.

"If something like this were done, it would need community support and input
because of some of the implications attached, like privacy issues," he said.

Nilhas added that other steps could be taken, including early education,
parental involvement and community involvement.

A community's choice

The subject is a touchy one. Nationally, some school officials don't broach
the subject matter with community members. Other schools, however, have
began the program with a great deal of support.

In Columbus, in Cherokee County in southeast Kansas, the district's student
drug-testing program is entering its fifth year.

For the past four years, from three to five high school students and three
or four junior high school students involved in extracurricular school
activities have been selected at random every week for testing.

Supt. Ken Jones said he was comfortable with requiring the students to
submit to random tests because they were choosing to participate in
activities such as sports, clubs and dances at the school.

Money from the district's Drug Free Schools grant covers the bulk of the
costs associated with tests, which adds up to about $5,000 annually. Even if
the grant funds weren't available, Jones said he thought people would want
to continue the program.

"I recall one parent of an eighth grader who felt like the testing was a
violation of rights," he said. "But other than that, the program seems to be
well received. The coaches support it and the parents support it. This is
something that I think each district and community has to make the decision.
It may work here, but that doesn't mean it will work everywhere."