MOORESVILLE PROGRAM SEEN AS MODEL

School's Drug Testing Heralded As Success Story By National Officials

Mooresville Consolidated School Corp. is known throughout Morgan County for
its award-winning show choirs, its DARE program and multicultural efforts
in the community.

What surprised administrators was the fact that its random drug-testing
program was considered to be a model and success story by national drug
officials and political figures in Washington, D.C.

Mooresville High School principal Chuck Muston, drug education coordinator
Greg Silver and student Betsy Norton recently traveled to the nation's
capital to answer questions about the school's drug-testing program in a
news conference.

Muston, principal at Mooresville High School for the past two years, said
the program was implemented seven years ago and was one of the first high
school drug-testing efforts in Indiana. Mooresville's random testing policy
caught the attention of national drug policymakers when it was included in
a survey of schools conducted by the White House last year. A
representative of the drug control policy office invited Muston and Silver
to attend the news conference in February. The two administrators brought
Betsy Norton with them because the 17-year-old cheerleader and show choir
member wanted to share her feelings about student drug use.

Norton, a National Honor Society student, is involved in PUSH (Prevention
Using Student Help), a drug prevention group at the high school. She was
recently invited by NBC to visit New York and talk about the drug testing
program on the air. Norton said she was eager to go.

"I always knew we had a good program here at Mooresville High School, but
to be chosen out of the whole country as a model was a big surprise," she said.

Few Complaints

Silver said the high school pairs penalty and parental involvement in drug
prevention and testing. Students who test positive for drugs are allowed to
stay in school but are banned from special activities. He said most of the
positive tests are the result of marijuana and nicotine use.

All students who drive and participate in sports, band or choir are subject
to random tests. The school also conducts random drug searches of the
parking lot and school building about twice a year.

Silver noted that with a student body of 1,300, at least 400 are tested
during the course of the school year. The random testing is done weekly,
and the administrator said more than 90 percent of those teens with a
first-time positive test show up clean on their second test.

Silver believes most students have gotten the message that they can't
continue to use drugs and participate in special activities as leaders and
role models.

"There were complaints at first from a handful of parents who thought the
testing was intrusive and felt that every single student should be tested.
But over the last four years, we haven't had any," Silver said. "As a
matter of fact, we've gotten calls from parents asking that their son or
daughter be tested -- not many do, but that number has gone up to about 15
this year. We can keep the request anonymous if a parent wants that."

Norton said if one of her tests proved positive, for example, she could
practice with the show choir but would be banned from performing with them.
As a cheerleader, she could attend games but would not be able to lead cheers.

Silver explained that the usual 42-day restriction period for these
activities is halved to 21 days if a student and parent agree to
counseling. The teen is retested at the end of that time.

If a student tests positive for nicotine once, the parent or guardian is
notified, but there is no penalty. Silver said if they have another
positive test, the 42-day restriction is enforced, but these young people
may also choose to enter counseling with their parents and have the penalty
cut to 21 days.

No Formal Policies

Martinsville High School principal Don Alkire said there is no formal drug
testing program in place for the whole student body at this time. But
students who have been on a probationary expulsion agreement and return to
school are automatically part of a random drug testing and counseling
program. Alkire said they are usually involved in this dual-check system
for the extent of the school year.

Monrovia Junior/Senior High School principal Duffy Hagist said a random
drug test has been discussed in the past, but like Martinsville, no formal
program has been implemented.

"A drug testing company visited us two years ago to talk about its program.
We got the name from the Center Grove school system, which was also
considering random testing," Hagist said. "But the only students that
company tested were athletes and drivers. We thought this was a little
discriminatory, so the school board voted against it."

Since then, Hagist said Monroe-Gregg has relied on drug education via
health classes and programs provided by the Morgan County Sheriff's Department.

"We've had them do some random drug searches at Monrovia Junior/Senior High
School, and they also put on a boot camp for students with drug and
behavior problems," Hagist said. "I'm not saying we won't implement random
drug testing in the future, but the school board would have to vote for it.
We have a close working relationship with the superintendent and members of
the school board, so if at some point they think we need it, I would trust
their judgment."

Hagist agreed with Silver and Muston that early parental involvement in a
student's illegal use of drugs can make all the difference.

Two-Week Tests

Indian Creek High School has had a random drug testing program for the past
four years, and athletics director Scott Martin oversees its operation.
Students in extra-curricular activities, sports and driver education
classes, as well as those who drive vehicles, are tested about every two weeks.

The program was interrupted by the school board last year because members
were awaiting the outcome of a Indiana Supreme Court case involving the
legality of another school's program. Martin said the
Nineveh-Hensley-Jackson School Corp. has now reinstated random drug testing.

"In the past, the program was well accepted, and it has worked very well
for us," Martin said. "Most of the students test positive for nicotine and
marijuana. There is no penalty for drivers with a positive nicotine test,
but we do send a letter home to the parents. If the student tests positive
for marijuana, alcohol or barbiturates, we enforce a 30-day penalty, which
includes driving and other activities. A driver must go to a couple of
counseling sessions, and there is a parent conference. If the student
doesn't drive, the parents have the option of attending counseling sessions
with their children," Martin said.

He added that athletes who test positive for drugs in-season receive a "33
percent penalty," meaning they miss a third of their games. And the
students must attend counseling.

In the off-season, the penalty is the same, but parents can waive it with
the understanding that the student will be randomly tested twice during the
year.

"Most parents are glad to know if we call to alert them to a possible
problem. We don't make this a punitive thing where students are expelled or
arrested for a positive drug test. They are allowed to attend school, and
we get the parents involved to help them address their drug use through
counseling," Martin said.

Early Intervention

Mooresville's Norton, who is the daughter of Mike and Angi Norton, has a
younger brother and sister, Patrick and Amanda. She said her anti-drug
activities give her the satisfaction of knowing children like them will be
kept safe.

"I think it's really important to inform people about the dangers of drugs
and how they affect your health before it's too late. Down the road, kids
who've been addicted to drugs will thank the school system for catching
their problem early."

Norton said reporters in Washington, D.C., asked her if she thought drug
testing interfered with her civil rights.

"I told them I didn't think it was an intrusion. If you're drug-free, you
don't have anything to worry about."