WEBB CITY SCHOOL BOARD EYES DRUG-TESTING PLAN

Committee will decide what drugs to test for, punishments

WEBB CITY, Mo. - Parents, students, and coaches Tuesday night showed
support for a plan to introduce drug testing for some students at Webb
City High School.

The Webb City R-7 School Board, during its regular monthly meeting,
endorsed a request from Randy Richardson, district activities
director, to form a committee to explore random and with-cause testing
for high school-students who participate in sports, clubs, and other
activities or have parent consent. The board would have to approve the
committee's recommendations before testing would begin.

"The reason we want a drug-testing program here at Webb is to give
kids the ability to say 'No,'" Richardson told the board.

Several students and parents backing the proposal attended the
meeting. Three students and a parent voiced their support.

"I think it is a good idea because it gives you an excuse, but I still
have some questions - like how do they pick the students and what the
punishments are," said Brayton Rand, a high-school junior who plays
football, basketball, and tennis.

Students and parents would have to sign a form consenting to random
drug testing prior to participating in the activity, Richardson said.
Parents of students who do not participate in activities could
voluntarily participate, he said. The school may also ask for tests of
eligible students with "reasonable suspicion," he said.

The urine test would be administered at the school by a private
company and would screen for cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana,
morphine, and other drugs, Richardson said.

The committee, which will consist of parents and coaches, is to decide
what the tests would cover and punishments, Richardson said. The
committee may decide to include alcohol in the screening, but the
latency for alcohol is shorter than for other drugs, he said.

Zeke Tarrant, a high-school junior who plays football and swims, was
among the students in favor of the plan.

"We are all about tools for the kids," said his father, Greg Tarrant.
"It can obviously help the kids in a decision-making process, and a
parent or a coach can't be there all the time and it is something they
can pull out of their toolbox and use. That is why we are supporting
it."

Superintendent Ron Lankford said Webb City is considering adopting
drug testing because it is already in several other area schools and
because the U.S. Supreme Court, in a June 2002 decision, allows
schools to test students in non-athletic activities in addition to
sports.

Webb City is reviewing plans already implemented in Carthage, Carl
Junction, Marshfield, and Nixa.

"I think that as coaches and as sponsors we are definitely in favor of
implementing some type of a drug-testing policy," said football coach
John Roderique. "I think we've got the same problems that other
communities have, and I think we need to start dealing with it."

The tests would cost about $16.25 each, Richardson said. Testing would
be conducted twice a month with samples collected from about 15
students during each testing period, he said.

The cost of testing 270 students at $16.25 a test would be $4,387.50.
The district would pay for the testing out of a federal Drug Free
School and Community grant that the district already receives,
Lankford said. The district would shift funding from some
elementary-level drug-prevention programs to drug testing, he said.

Board members Dave Collard, Ron Oney, Jeanne Newby, Lucinda Copeland
and Terry James attended the meeting. Board President Will Roderique
and board member Kent Taylor were absent.