ARE DRUG TESTS NEEDED?

Student Drug Use Survey to Determine Course of Action

After reviewing the school district's drug testing policy for nearly a
year, the school board's Policy Committee has decided to survey high
school students to see if random drug testing is necessary.

The survey, given by The National Student Drug-Testing Committee, is a
free service and requires parent or guardian permission for a student
to participate. The permission slips will be sent home this summer,
allowing parents and guardians to decide if they want their child to
participate in the survey in September, said David Kanaby, the
committee's chairman.

After the initial survey, an ad hoc committee will be formed with
parents, community members, teachers and school board members to
analyze the results of the survey in December.

"We'll look at what we have and see if there is a need for random drug
testing right now," Mr. Kanaby said. "If the committee decides there
is, the program will be implemented in fall of 2005. If there isn't a
need, we will look into improving our preventative measures."

According to Mr. Kanaby, planning the tests is in the preliminary
stages, however the tests will be based on urine samples costing
around $30 per test.

"We're taking all of the steps very slowly," he said. "We want to make
sure we do all of our homework first."

If random drug testing is implemented, the first group to undergo
random testing would include students involved in extra-or
co-curricular activities, and students eligible for parking permits.

Eventually, the program would be open to the entire school, Mr. Kanaby
said.

"We don't want the community to think we are doing this because there
is a huge drug problem in the district," Mr. Kanaby said. "We just
want to see where we are compared to surrounding schools and schools
of the same size."

The idea of random drug testing was brought to the board by the
principal of Hunterdon Central Regional High School, Lisa Brady, who
wanted Hillsborough High School to participate in drug-testing thesis
she was preparing. From 1997 to 2000, Hunterdon Central tested
student-athletes until a lawsuit was brought by parents.

In June of 2002, the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of
testing all students in extracurricular activities, allowing Hunterdon
Central to resume the mouth swab test that January, this time
including students in all extra-curricular activities and those who
get permits to park on the school lot.

In her essay, "Drug testing is a strong weapon in the war on drugs in
schools," Ms. Brady supports her decision to have drug testing at
Hunterdon Central.

"The challenge before the school boards and communities is clear. We
need to do a better job helping our teenagers say no to drugs," she
writes. "The Supreme Court has paved the way for stronger, stricter
interventions. The dramatic success of our program at Hunterdon
Central makes this challenge abundantly clear: Why do student random
drug testing? You do it because it works."