RANDOM DRUG TESTS EXPANDING

River Dell and Lakeland regional high schools are expected to adopt
sweeping random drug testing programs next week, joining a growing
number of New Jersey districts with similar policies.

Under the programs, any student who participates in a club, plays
for a team or has a parking permit at the school is subject to
testing for a variety of illegal substances, including alcohol,
marijuana, steroids, cocaine, ecstasy and amphetamines, among others.

At River Dell, that means between 85 percent and 90 percent of all
high school students next year will be required to sign consent
forms permitting the random tests, Superintendent Patrick Fletcher said.

Drug testing in schools is becoming more commonplace across New
Jersey, officials say. Approximately 20 districts have mandatory
alcohol and drug testing policies in place, according to New Jersey
School Boards Association spokesman Mike Yaple. That still amounts
to a small percentage of the 288 districts that include high schools
in New Jersey, he said.

The state athletic association already tests teams that qualify for
postseason play for performance-enhancing substances.

Other North Jersey districts, including Fort Lee and Kinnelon, have
discussed testing programs.

The number of districts adopting policies has been on the rise
following a 2002 New Jersey Supreme Court decision that upheld a
district's right to test students who join after-school activities,
play sports or park on campus -- all considered privileges that can
be subject to conditions.

The River Dell and Lakeland programs are modeled after policies in
Pequannock High School and Hunterdon Central Regional High School,
which have survived court challenges.

"I think at some point we are going to reach critical mass where you
are going to be the odd ball if you don't do it," said David Evans,
founder of the New Jersey-based Drug Free Schools Coalition. "You
are really putting your kids at risk if you are the only school
district in the county not doing it. Where are the drug pushers going to go?"

The testing is not intended as a punitive measure; instead, the
program is meant to give kids a reason to say no when offered
alcohol or drugs, officials say.

Nevertheless, the policy has drawn concern from some parents
regarding privacy issues, even as other parents have praised it as a
way to lower drug use.

"Parents are split on this," said Lisa Belthoff, vice president of
the River Dell Regional High School Parent-Teacher Organization.

Some students, however, say the new program represents an
unwarranted intrusion into their lives.

"A lot of people don't do drugs, and I don't think it's fair that
just because you do a sport or a club, you have to get tested," said
Marissa Arakelian, a River Dell junior.

School officials say there is evidence that the tests reduce drug
abuse. Pequannock's voluntary middle school program, for instance,
has led to a drop in the number of students who reported high or
moderate drug and alcohol use since the policy was instituted two
years ago, according to an anonymous survey.

There was also an increase in the number of students who reported
little or no drug use, said Pequannock Valley Middle School
Principal William Trusheim.

Hunterdon Central, meanwhile, saw drug use drop slightly during the
program's first three years and rise again when the policy was
suspended in order to study its effect, according to a survey.

"I think students are sticking with the commitment not to use," Trusheim said.

At River Dell, the decision to investigate a testing program was
prompted in part by an anonymous survey that indicated students
there were using alcohol, marijuana and cocaine significantly more
often than the national average.

Each week, a computer will select five random identification numbers
that correspond to five students. Those students will be
accompanied, one at a time, by an administrator of the same gender
to a designated bathroom.

The student will provide a urine sample, which will then be tested
by a private facility. If it comes back positive, the facility will
test it a second time, and if the positive test is confirmed, a
medical review officer will check with the student's parents to
ensure there is not an innocent explanation.

A first offense results in a two-week suspension from activities,
sports and parking and an assignment to a counseling program. A
second offense is a three-month suspension. A third offense results
in a one-year ban. The program will cost approximately $4,000 a
year, although federal grant money will pay for it for the time being.

The Lakeland policy calls for 25 to 30 tests each week. A positive
test triggers a suspension from activities and parking for 20
percent of the year, while a second violation results in a
five-month suspension. A yearlong suspension results from a third strike.

The River Dell school board is expected to approve the policy on
Tuesday; Lakeland trustees will likely approve the policy next
Wednesday. The board presidents said that the members of each board
have expressed support for the proposals, which would take effect
with the start of the next school year; athletes at Lakeland will
start testing in August.

A few districts have adopted voluntary programs, in which either
students or their parents can give permission for testing. Most
districts that have programs have chosen mandatory testing, however,
in order to reach more students, Evans said.

Wayne, for instance, has a voluntary program in
place. Eighth-graders are asked to sign up for drug testing when
they select their freshman year courses. Once students sign up, they
are enrolled in the program for all four years of high school, said
Schools Superintendent Maria Nuccetelli.

About one-third of the freshman class participate. The district
hopes more students will enroll next year.

Correction

Thursday, May 17, 2007

The Lakeland Regional High School Board of Education is meeting
Tuesday on its proposed drug testing policy. An article Wednesday
reported an incorrect day for the meeting.