SURRY SCHOOLS EXAMINE DRUG TESTING PROGRAM

DOBSON - Discussion continued on developing a drug testing program for
Surry County Schools Monday evening.

During their monthly meeting, school board members asked Superintendent
Marsha Bledsoe to conduct focus group interviews, speak with the county's
high school principals and gather more information about the ins and outs
of instituting such a program.

Board members discussed issues concerning the effect the program would
have, who would be tested and how they would be tested.

"What is apparent is the dramatic deterrent effect (a drug testing policy)
would have on the students," schools attorney Fred Johnson said. He has
made extensive inquiries into other policies and programs such as the
Winston-Salem/Forsyth school system at the request of the board.

Johnson added the goal of a drug testing policy would not be to punish, but
to help students who have tested positive receive help. He stressed the
importance of confidentiality in the testing procedure in order to help
those who need it and not broadcast their problems to the student body.

Though he is waiting on success rates from the Winston-Salem/Forsyth
schools, Johnson suggested simply knowing they could be tested at any time
would deter students from using drugs.

"I'm not sure we wouldn't be penalizing the athletes," said board member I.
Bobby Hanes while addressing concerns of who would be tested.

Board members went back and forth trying to decide what population of the
student body to test. Discussion covered testing students involved with
athletics to all involved with extracurricular clubs and organizations and
went as far as considering testing youths in the middle schools.

"I think logistically we need to look at the high schools first," said
board member Earlie Coe.

"We need to define extracurricular," Bledsoe told board members.

All high school students in the Surry County system are required to
participate in a club of some kind, making the logistics of testing a problem.

To satisfy preliminary questions, Bledsoe and board members felt
discussions concerning testing should tentatively encompass those students
involved in extracurricular activities which compete with other schools.

"If we're serious about this (implementing a drug testing program), my
opinion is if a student signs up for an extracurricular (activity) they
need to be tested," said board member Brian Gates, responding to discussion
concerning whether or not the testing would be random.

With random testing there is a chance one student would not be tested at
all during their tenure while another could be tested multiple times. Gates
felt this would be unfair to the students so he suggested a once-a-year
test for any student involved in extracurricular activities and concurred
with other board members' suggestions to supplement the annual test with
random tests throughout the year.

"It appears a substantial amount of drug use with the students deals with
steroids and inhalants. Some of the tests can't pick those up," Johnson said.

Another limitation to the tests are their ability to detect alcohol because
of how quickly it passes through the body.

In lieu of purchasing what could be more than 8,000 questionnaires to be
distributed throughout the community for feedback - at a cost of $1.28 each
- - Bledsoe will be speaking with student focus groups to address some of the
same questions and issues the board raised. She will also be discussing the
matter with all of Surry County's principals and reporting her findings to
the board at next month's meeting on Feb. 3.

The board also discussed conducting a public hearing, but many felt past
experience illustrates poor turnouts for open forums.

In other school board news, members defined three projects of the 2002-2003
Capital Outlay Needs to be of high priority.

Repaving North Surry High School's parking lot, refurbishing or
constructing new bleachers at North Surry and Surry Central High Schools
and adding covered walkways to Central and Pilot Mountain middle schools
and Copeland, Dobson and Mountain Park elementary schools are high on the list.

These projects will be presented to the Surry County commissioners,
requesting full or partial financial support after Bledsoe is able to
finalize cost figures.