FIRST ROUND OF STUDENT DRUG TESTING OVER

After conducting more than 550 random urine tests of student athletes
at seven high schools this spring, only two students tested positive,
said Ed Boos, the district's supervisor of prevention, health and wellness.

"(The results) were very pleasing to us," Boos said. "If we're getting
a lot of positives, then what we're doing isn't a deterrent."

Next fall, testing will expand to 15 Polk high schools. The
federally-funded project will last for roughly three years, requiring
mandatory consent from students who wish to play sports.

Boos said school officials will get an early idea of how effective the
program has been once results come back from the Polk County Schools
Prevention Survey.

The annual survey collects anonymous, self-reported data on drug use
and violence from middle and high school students. According to Boos,
survey information taken from non-tested schools will be compared
against those that were screened this spring.

"But the more conclusive data will come next year after all schools
have participated (in the program)," he said.

Boos said the two students flagged this year will be able to return to
sports next fall if they follow recommendations from the district's
assessment program.

Save for "a few students that chose not to participate in sports or do
the testing," Boos said the program had a successful trial run.

"Most of the kids were very cooperative. I don't know of any instances
where anyone was belligerent," he said. "I was pleasantly surprised
things went as well as they did. Doing something like this, you expect
problems, but we really didn't have any."

If the district gets permission to use excess grant money, Boos said
the program could also test for steroids (it currently only checks for
substances like marijuana and cocaine), addressing a major weakness in
a project aimed at student athletes.

But even in its current state, School Board Chairman Jack English said
the testing is beneficial.

"It may influence (students) to change their lifestyle by knowing
they'll be tested," he said. "If it is truly a deterrent, or kids are
taking their behavior differently, then that's good."