SMHS PRINCIPAL TORO BACKS DRUG TESTING SOME STUDENTS

When he instituted student drug testing at Natchitoches Central High School
in Louisiana seven years ago, then-principal Julio Toro was also the parent
of a student athlete. Not only did the testing program - which is still in
effect there - prove to be a success, it also delivered a pleasant surprise.

"It provides a means for students to be able to say no," said Toro, now
principal of San Marcos High School. "It provided a way, when peer pressure
or opportunity arose, for my son to say 'I can't do that.' I found that to
be an unexpected benefit."

Now in the planning stages of a program that would test SMCISD students in
grades 7-12 who participate in athletics or extra-curricular activities,
Toro believes other parents will have a similar experience. "It provided me
as a parent one more means of being able to make certain conditions were as
safe for my son as they could be."

In addition to offering students a means by which to resist peer pressure to
use drugs and alcohol, the program's objectives include ensuring the health
and safety of students and providing a resource for support and assistance
to students who may be using.

Pending approval by the San Marcos CISD Board of Trustees, the program would
be implemented in August. It would apply only to students who participate in
athletics, cheerleading, band, choir, dance teams, R.O.T.C., U.I.L. academic
and one-act play competitions and Agricultural Science Department
competitions.

Students would be selected by a random "lottery," with testing held each
month. The urinalysis would screen for substances including amphetamines,
barbiturates, benzodiazepines, marijuana, cocaine, alcohol, hallucinogens,
methadone, opiates, phencyclidine and steroids. No district personnel would
be directly involved in the lottery or testing process; and results will be
made known only to parents, District Superintendent Sylvester Perez, Toro
and other principals at applicable grade levels, and coaches or sponsors of
the extracurricular activity.

Toro said the current situation on the campus of SMHS calls for something to
be done.

"The past two years have seen an increase in the number of drug-related
offenses at our school," he said, citing in particular the use by students
of prescription drugs not prescribed to them, and possession of marijuana.

It would be even worse, he predicted, if not for the presence of two San
Marcos police officers based on the campus as School Resource Officers. "I
believe that if the police presence was not here on campus we would see an
even greater increase" in drug-related offenses, he said. "They are visible
and they work with us hand in hand when we deal with drug related offenses.
There's no doubt in my mind the SROs have had a positive effect and helped
reduce the number of offenses we deal with on a year to year basis.

"However, an SRO presence on any school campus is not in iron-clad guarantee
that no violence or drug activity will take place especially on a campus
with almost 2,000 students."

As currently envisioned, the drug testing program would provide specific
sanctions for students who test positive. Strike One sanctions include
suspension from competition for 15 school days, though the student would
still be able to practice; completion of an accredited drug/alcohol program;
and mandatory testing at all scheduled lotteries for the remainder of the
school year or a minimum of six scheduled lotteries. Strike Two sanctions
call for the student to be suspended from competition, but not practice, for
30 school days; completion of a drug/alcohol program and mandatory testing
at all scheduled lotteries for one calendar year.

Under Strike Three, students would be suspended from extracurricular
activities and practice for one calendar year; made to complete a
drug/alcohol program; and mandatory testing at all scheduled lotteries for
the remainder of the student's "extracurricular career." Students who fail
four drug tests would be punished under Strike Four, which means suspension
from all extracurricular activities for the remainder of their enrollment in
the district.

Toro said the program he oversaw in Louisiana, and the one he envisions for
SMHS, are in line with the ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court that testing
participants in athletics and extracurricular activities does not violate
the students' Constitutional rights.

He said that's the primary reason the program would not apply to all the
high school's 1,957 students. "That's something that has not been upheld to
my knowledge," he said of the broader application. "We're going by the
Supreme Court ruling which basically covers testing of student athletes and
students in extracurricular activities."

Though it's a common perception that students in athletics and other
extracurricular activities are less likely to use drugs than
non-participating students, Toro said "less likely" doesn't account for 100
percent.

He also said keeping those students drug-free will make them better role
models for others. "These are basically student leaders, students who
represent our school. Other students look up to many of these students, they
try to emulate them. They basically see them as students that set good
examples. More is always expected from leadership."

No provider has been selected, and Toro noted that any such action would
have to be put out for bids and then decided on by the district's Board of
Trustees. He did say a firm he has been in contact with insists the testing
will cost between $15 and $18 per student, roughly $10,000 for its first
year of implementation.

On the issue of the possibility of false positives, Toro said the testing
firm he consulted with indicated if a test came up positive, subsequent,
more specific tests would be done at no additional charge.

The issue of student drug testing was first publicly raised by SMHS Athletic
Director Bruce Bush in February. Since then, the district has held one
informational meeting for parents and plans a second one in early April.

One early proposal, to have parents pay for an initial drug screening at the
beginning of the school year, was scrapped, Toro said, both to spare
parental expense and because there would be no surprise element to the
testing.