PEWAUKEE APPROVES DRUG POLICY

Pewaukee School District -- After a year of investigation, creation and
numerous revisions, the Pewaukee School Board Monday approved the policy
for random drug testing of high school students involved in athletics and
extracurricular activities.

With the approval, Pewaukee becomes one of only a few school districts in
the state to have such a policy. The board approved the policy unanimously
with no discussion.

"The reason the random drug testing policy was pursued was to foster and
strengthen an even safer learning community here in the public schools,"
said JoAnn Sternke, superintendent at the Pewaukee School District.

The district began researching random drug testing after a 2002 U.S.
Supreme Court decision supported such programs.

"As we learned more about student drug testing, one of the tenets we kept
hearing about was detect to deter, the idea that by detection of student
drug use you can hopefully prevent more students from the start of drug
use," Sternke said.

Information researched by the district indicated that students deterred in
adolescence from drug use were less likely to use illegal substances in
their adult years.

"We live in a culture that gives very mixed messages about drug and alcohol
use. We want to give a very clear message on our views of student drug
use," Sternke said. "We're hoping to give students another reason to say no."

During the last year, administrators, teachers, district parents and
students themselves participated in what Sternke described as a
collaborative effort to research and draft the policy and procedures.
Positive feedback kept the process moving forward.

"I'm pleased with the process that was utilized to create the procedures
and policy itself," Sternke said. "Throughout the year we've been working
on this, we have been listening to the community, listening to our parents,
so that we developed a policy that reflects our school and community values."

Beginning in the 2004-05 school year, approximately 25 percent of the PHS
students involved in athletics and extracurricular activities will be
tested each year. That is approximately 100 students.

If they test positive, they would be subject to the penalties in the
current athletics-activities code. The code prohibits participation in
athletics-activities if someone is found to be using a prohibited substance.

A physician from the lab would notify parents about the results and about
possible counseling options. Law enforcement would not be notified.

The School District budget is still under development and the district will
recommend that the School Board approve $3,800, the estimated cost per year
of the random drug testing program, included in the budget. Sternke
anticipates using safe and drug free school grant money to fund the program.

At the end of the 2004-05 year, Sternke will present a report to the board
on the program, which will include any recommendations for changes to the
program for the following year.