STUDENT DRUG TESTING: SMCISD REFINES PROPOSAL

San Marcos High School Coach Steve Van Nest further pursued a new drug
testing policy for students involved in extracurricular activities Tuesday,
addressing changes that have been made during recent committee meetings and
a public forum.

One more public forum will be held 7 p.m. April 5 at the San Marcos High
School Auditorium to further address the issues involved.

Van Nest, representing Athletic Director Bruce Bush, provided further
specifics for the proposed policy and welcomed views from parents and
residents.

"We want to get as much public opinion as possible," Van Nest said.

One change to the original proposal, according to Van Nest, is that there
would be no mandatory drug testing for everyone involved - everyone being
students in grades 7-12 involved in extracurricular activites.

Another change involves the lifting of the $15 to $18 parents' fee for the
testing.

Under the revised proposal, a lottery of student IDs would be randomly
chosen once a month, and about 90 students a month of the approximate 1,800
students involved in extracurricular activities would be tested.

Another proposed ammendment is the addition of alcohol testing.

"One person (at a previous public forum) added that 'if kids are going to
get off marijuana, it's going to encourage them to drink,'" Van Nest said.
"We certainly don't want that. If the kids know they're going to get tested
for alcohol, then its something else to discourage them from getting
involved in anything."

It is also proposed that if a student potentially tests positive,
professional counseling would be required at the parents' expense in order
to lift the suspension from the particular activity. However, for the first
two strikes, students would still be allowed to practice with their
organization during the suspension time.

Board Member Judy Allen said she was concerned with the cost involved for
professional counseling.

"Counseling is not inexpensive," Allen said. "Suppose a parent couldn't
afford counseling. What would we do in that case?"

Van Nest said that many area accredited counseling programs were free, and
the Hays/Caldwell Center for Drug and Alcohol Abuse work with families on
an income basis.

Bruce Jennings, a parent of two students enrolled in SMCISD, opposed the
drug test policy in comments made at the opening of the meeting.

"Don't shove this down our throats after only two months," Jennings said.
"I believe it will drive away children who are on the fringes when the only
reason they come to school is to work in the extracurricular activities."

Though no company has been selected for the actual testing and no exact
cost has been assessed, Van Nest said that the committee is hoping to keep
the annual cost for testing under $10,000.