SCHOOL TABLES DRUG TESTING

Greenwood - Members of Greenwood School District's board of education
unanimously voted Thursday to table a vote on a proposed drug testing
policy until the board's April meeting.

The policy is written for junior high and senior high students
involved in extracurricular activities and spells out procedures and
actions to be taken. A committee of parents, students, teachers and
administrators developed the policy. Wells Junior High Principal Damon
Sadler served as head of the committee.

"We don't want to jump into this without looking some more," Board
President Floyd Webb said in agreeing with a recommendation from
Superintendent Kay Johnson to table the issue.

The decision to table the policy was made following a presentation by
Sadler and comments from Frank Newman of Huntington, who has
grandchildren attending Greenwood schools, and Robert McKinney, who
has children in Greenwood schools.

Sadler said he, East Hills Principal Donnie Whitson and GHS Principal
Jerry Efurd gathered information about other schools with drug-testing
policies, most of which believe the testing serves as a deterrent.

"An AD (athletic director at one of the schools) said students gave up
drug use because they wanted to be involved in extracurricular
activities," Sadler said. He said once the policy was settled in, the
community supported it.

Newman, who worked with the U.S. Customs patrol, said he objects to
the drug-testing policy and feels it is "excessive overkill and
intrusion into civil rights." He added tobacco, alcohol and obesity
are students' biggest problems.

"If you don't test for tobacco, junk food and soda water, I'd be the
first to holler hypocrite," Newman said. He said testing for alcohol
use is not necessary as "most alcohol tests won't work."

McKinney agreed with Newman. He recalled his days in the military and
forced drug testing that he described as a "humiliating
experience."

McKinney explained when he and other military persons gave a urine
sample, an authorized person stood within the line of sight so they
could see that rules were being followed. He said he didn't want
students to go through that type of experience.

The school's proposed policy specifies the student will give the urine
sample within the privacy of a bathroom stall.

McKinney said if a student is suspended from extracurricular
activities because of testing positive, it will mean "branding these
kids as druggies. I don't think children should go through this."

The board's next scheduled meeting is April 10 at 6:30 p.m. at the
Administrative Building at the corner of Gary and North Main streets.