BRISTOL VIRGINIA SCHOOL DRUG-USE POLICY HEADS TO FIRST READING IN JUNE

BRISTOL, Va. -- A proposed drug-use policy for Bristol Virginia school
students will be considered on first reading by the School Board on June
16, although board members hope to get public input on a drug-testing
provision earlier in the month.

Board members agreed to consider the policy at their second June meeting
after School Board attorney Joseph Lyle said the city appears to be ahead
of the Virginia Board of Education and Virginia School Boards Association
in designing such a policy.

The board agreed to change the section specifying a drug-testing program
and system to a paragraph reserving the school system's right to implement
such a program. Lyle, who drafted and presented the policy in March at the
board's request, said he spoke with state Safe and Drug Free Schools
program Coordinator Arlene Cundiff in recent days.

He said she indicated that the state board expects to have some sort of
guidelines or directive in compliance with General Assembly legislation by
the end of 2003.

"(Cundiff) was kind of interested in looking to us to help with their
work," Lyle said.

Lyle cited a recent New York Times article about a national survey of
students that suggests as many as 35 percent of students do not consider
drug testing a deterrent to drug use.

Superintendent Frank Finan and Student Services Director Patti Bowers said
that the cost of implementing a drug-testing program varies depending on
what the School Board wants in the program. Bowers said that drug testing
can cost between $8 and $45 per individual test depending on the range of
substances checked.

Finan said the cost of a program administrator depends on how much of the
task is done during school hours or after, and the work load involved.
Based on either a stipend for additional duties -- 12 percent of salary --
or whether a full-time position is required, Finan said the cost could vary
from $5,700 to as much as $48,000.

Board Chairman John Kieffer said that random testing of 10 percent of
approximately 340 students participating in Virginia High School League
athletic and academic activities could cost about $20,000 a year. He later
recommended adopting a broad drug-use policy to avoid "dibbling and
dabbling" over drug testing and searches by drug-detection dogs.

"I think the controversial part will be implementing the drug testing,"
added board member Jaymie Derden.

On Kieffer's recommendation, the board agreed to hold a public information
meeting on June 4 at 7:30 p.m. at Virginia Middle School to get reaction to
the drug-testing proposal. Board member Virginia Goodson agreed with
Kieffer that various community and law enforcement agencies should be
encouraged to attend.

In other business, Finan recommended that the board look at approving the
Virginia High School track project bidding process based on including
refurbishment of the tennis courts next to the existing track. He said he
would like to start the project's planned reworking of the rear parking lot
before June 30.