LOOKING AT NEW TESTING

Lebanon School Board Mulls Drug Testing Policies

LEBANON -- School board members say they want more information on
costs before they decide whether the Lebanon School District should
begin student drug testing.

The discussion took place Monday during second reading of two
policies, one that would require drug tests for all students before
allowing them to join a sports team, and another that would require a
test before participating in any district-sponsored club or
organization.

Board members said they leaned instead toward random testing, and
asked district officials to look into how much such tests cost.

Assistant Superintendent Steve Williams said after the meeting the
district will likely look at a range of costs, including whether the
tests are for one drug or many. Reports are expected at the board's
Aug. 16 meeting.

Superintendent Jim Robinson said more than half the student population
at Lebanon High School, which is about 1,300, is involved in at least
one extracurricular activity.

Margaret Peterson of the Oregon School Board Association said the OSBA
sent sample drug policies after a 2002 Supreme Court decision expanded
school testing rights to include extracurricular activities. As far as
she knows, she said, very few districts in the state have adopted them.

"The question is, is this an effective tool for dealing with a serious
problem?" asked Tom McHill, Lebanon's board chairman. "Are we
proposing to take this step based on the information we have now, and
make that kind of commitment?"

Board member William Barish, a family physician, said he was concerned
a pre-sports test wouldn't be an effective deterrent.

"To me, that's an idiot test. If you are dumb enough to take drugs
right before a drug test =85 " he said, trailing off and shaking his
head.

Sherrie Sprenger said she agrees with the idea of drug tests and would
support not only pre-tests but random follow-ups. However, she said,
that might be more than the district can afford, so she proposed
pulling the policies until cost research is done.