'REASONABLE SUSPICION' DRUG POLICY BEING PONDERED

HARTFORD -- Getting help, not a criminal record, is the focus of a new
student drug policy being considered by Ohio County Schools, its
drafters say.

The "reasonable suspicion" policy would allow drug testing with
parental permission if at least two trained observers in a school
agree that a student shows signs of substance abuse.

"We're looking at it as a positive thing to get them counseling and
the help they need," said Ruth Fields, an assistant superintendent and
one drafter of the policy.

The other two are James Robinson, the schools' community and social
services coordinator and a member of Together We Care, and Greg
Decker, the high school's assistant principal.

"I believe it'll be very good," said Ohio Sheriff's Deputy Mike
Curtis, the school system's resource officer. "I hope if parents feel
that their children have a problem (that) they'll use this to get help
for them."

The policy has been sent to the Kentucky School Board Association to
review its legality, said Deputy Pat Gibson, who also is a school
board member.

"We can't just up and do that (testing) for no reason because you've
got personal rights to consider," Gibson said. Several parents have
asked that their child be tested, he added.

The idea for the new policy stems from a presentation Robinson made in
August to the Ohio County Board of Education.

A 2002 survey showed an increased number of Ohio County High School
students said they had tried marijuana, tobacco or alcohol at least
once in the previous 30 days.

The survey showed 33.5 percent of sophomores and seniors reported
smoking a cigarette, 36 percent had drunk alcohol and 16 percent had
tried marijuana.

The results followed a four-year span in which all age groups had been
in decline, Robinson said.

The increase was not overwhelming, but "it was enough to say 'OK, we
need to do more prevention in the high school than what we've been
doing,' " Robinson said.

"Our goal is to stop that one-time use from ever happening," Robinson
said. "If we can lower that 'at least once in 30 days,' then we're
ultimately going to reduce the use as adults."

Curtis said there was a handful of marijuana-usage incidents at school
last year, and there were a few so far this year.

"From what I hear, there are several that are drinking alcohol. We do
occasionally have marijuana problems," he said.

"There's probably more going on than we see," Curtis said. "That's
what we're trying to step up and take care of."

The policy will not be an "ugly stick" used to tell students they are
bad, Robinson said.

"This is really a safety measure ... to aid those kids who might be
using, to get them some help," Robinson said.

It would improve the "school climate" and provide help for parents,
who might recognize that their child's behavior has changed but might
not recognize substance-abuse symptoms, he said.

The policy will apply to regular school days, as well as school
functions, Robinson said.

Fields said there will be "extensive training" for the three to five
observers in each school.

"The key is the training," which helps detect symptoms, she
said.

If symptoms are detected, parents would be contacted and the student
asked to submit to a drug test.

"If they refuse, we suspend them from school," Fields said.

The student would then be referred to the county's Court Designated
Worker and either the school's Alternative Learning Program or the
court system's Day Treatment System, she said.

"The suspension is only if there are physical symptoms," Fields added.
"That's why it's so important to have people trained."

The policy would not be limited just to high school students, said
Gibson, who expects training to begin in January.

It would be countywide, particularly in the fifth and sixth grades and
the middle school "where a lot of experimentation with drugs and
alcohol begins," he said.

Gibson noted that finding the symptoms would be difficult to detect in
students, who often come to school sad, ill or just acting silly.

But they will need information about the new policy and convincing
that "it's helping them, not somebody out there just watchdogging and
trying to catch anybody who does anything," he said.