DISTRICT WON'T TEST ATHLETES FOR DRUGS

BOYERTOWN --The Boyertown Area School Board recently voted to eliminate a
districtwide policy that required random drug and alcohol testing for all
school athletes.

The board voted 8-0 to drop the policy. Board member Leonard Melcher was
absent.

"We feel that random drug and alcohol testing is not necessary at this
time," Superintendent Charles Amuso said.

Amuso said 1,000 student-athletes have been tested over the last seven
years and only three have tested positive.

Before the elimination of the policy, every member of the Boyertown Area
Senior High School athletic program and cheerleading squads was forced to
submit to random urine testing throughout the sports seasons.

According to the policy, all of the tests were paid for by the district and
any student who tested positive or refused to take the test was barred from
participating in any school athletic program for the rest of the season.

Amuso said the board-approved student handbook contains regulations for
drug, alcohol and tobacco use that apply to all students participating in
extracurricular activities.

Now all students will follow the same set of procedures and can refer to
the handbook for information on district substance abuse rules, Amuso said.

The board also voted to file for final state reimbursement for completion
of the Gilbertsville Elementary, Washington Elementary and Junior High West
construction projects. All of the projects were completed between 1995 and
1998, and Amuso said the district could have sought the state money earlier.

At this week's school board meeting, board members expressed concern over
who was responsible for filing the application for reimbursement. The
Department of Education charges a $6,000 fee for the application, and the
district's contract with its architect, Jay Clough, required Clough to pay
the fee, district solicitor Jeffery Sultanik said.

Sultanik said Clough, who has worked on several projects for the district,
said he failed to file for the reimbursement because his company, Diseroad
Wolff Kelly Clough and Bucher, did not have the internal resources to
complete the filing process. When the district brought the situation to
Clough's attention, he agreed to pay half of the $6,000 fee.

"As part of a courtesy in business, I find that very disconcerting. For him
not to come to the plate and deal with that is unacceptable," board member
Michael Kulp said.

Board members discussed the possibility of not hiring Clough in the future
and suggested removing him from the Junior High East project.

Sultanik said that about three-fourths of the architect's fees have already
been paid for Junior High East and that hiring someone new would cost the
district more money. Since the meeting was held, Amuso said, Clough has
agreed to incur the full cost of filing the application with Harrisburg.

Amuso said it could take up to two years to receive a reimbursement for the
project, and at this point, he does not know how much the district will
receive.