DISTRICT 230 TO STUDY DRUG TESTING FOR ALL STUDENTS IN ACTIVITIES

The Consolidated High School District 230 board of education is looking at
the possibility of requiring random drug testing for any student involved
in extracurricular activities.

The board's policy committee discussed the possibility at a recent meeting,
but board members caution that any action on the item is not expected to
take place this school year.

"I don't foresee us having everything in place this school year," committee
chairman Gail Mulrooney said. "This is a major undertaking for our district."

The committee has directed the administration to contact other school
districts that have such programs. The administration is expected to review
the policies in those districts and find out how such a program would work
in District 230, how much it would cost, how it would be administered and
how student privacy would be protected.

District 230 includes Andrew High School in Tinley Park, Sandburg High
School in Orland Park and Stagg High School in Palos Hills.

Administrators are expected to contact Homewood-Flossmoor High School
District 233, which has been drug testing athletes for more than a decade.

"We need to look at what other district are doing and whether or not it has
been successful. And, what does successful mean?" District 230 Board
President Maureen O'Hara said.

If District 230 began randomly testing students in any extracurricular
activity, it will help encourage students to pass on drugs and alcohol,
O'Hara said.

"This would give them an opportunity to say 'No, I don't want to jeopardize
my spot on the team,'" O'Hara said. "Other kids will respect that more
because they will be in the same situation."

The research on a drug testing policy comes months after the U.S. Supreme
Court voted 5-4 in favor of allowing public schools to randomly drug test
high school students involved in extracurricular activities. That decision
broadened a 1995 ruling that permits schools to test athletes for drugs.

The court ruled the testing did not violate a student's right to privacy
because school districts have an obligation to protect a student's health.
The court further ruled that student chose to get involved in
extracurricular activities. Justices stopped short, however, of allowing
testing for any high school student.

Opponents of drug testing argue such policies discourage students from
getting involved in activities that could keep them from using drugs in the
first place.

District 230 Supt. Patrick McMahon may also offer some insight into how
such a policy could be enacted in District 230.

At his former school district in Sterling, Ill., McMahon oversaw a policy
for five years that randomly tested all students involved in
extracurricular activities for drugs, alcohol and nicotine.

McMahon said in July the policy was successful in Sterling and helped "keep
drugs and alcohol off our campus during the day."

The policy revolved around getting kids help instead of punishing them for
using drugs and alcohol, McMahon said at the time.

"My personal feeling is that it's okay so long as it is not designed as a
punishment or as overly evasive," McMahon said in July.

O'Hara said McMahon's experience was part of the reason why the board wants
to research the possibility of drug testing in District 230.

"We have first hand information," O'Hara said. "He knows what worked and
what hasn't."

O'Hara said a large part of the decision will also revolve around community
input.

"We would be looking for that as well," O'Hara said.

McMahon also said in July community input is part of why the policy in his
former school district worked so well.