DISTRICT DROPS DRUG TESTING STUDY

Bloomington Board Also Hears Concerns About Sale Of Mascot

BLOOMINGTON - Given District 87's budget deficit and other factors, Board
of Education members agreed Wednesday that pouring current resources into
random drug testing would be unwise.

The board faces a $2.6 million budget deficit for 2002-2003, thanks in part
to state budget woes.

The issue came to light when a 2001 survey conducted by the district's
citizens advisory council revealed 71 percent of parents favored limited
random drug testing for the high school students in extracurricular activities.

The advisory council, however, suspended further study after the U.S.
Supreme Court took up the issue. The court eventually decided to allow
testing of students in extracurricular activities, and Superintendent Bob
Nielsen asked board members for direction on the issue.

Board member Diana McCauley, who said she disagrees with random drug
testing because it singles out students in certain extracurricular
activities, said the practice is out of line with board goals.

Those goals include teaching students to speak and write well and succeed
in mathematics, and recruiting and retaining a diverse teaching staff.

"We want to make sure all kids are learning and achieving," said board
president Kathy Havens. "This isn't a time to engage in another significant
program that will take resources and time. But we're not shying away from
the eventual resurrection of the issue."

Board member John Dirks offered similar comments, adding that no
information he's seen suggests drugs are a problem in the district's schools.

Nielsen said the Dixon school district has done random drug testing for a
few years, and only two students tested positive for nicotine during that time.

Because the district has found no real problems and each test costs $20,
the practice probably will be stopped, he said.

In other action, two representatives from the Bloomington-Normal National
Association for the Advancement of Colored People asked the board to
reconsider the sale of a 12-foot American Indian medallion from Bloomington
High School.

The board voted to drop the American Indian mascot last August. NAACP
President Mike Williams said allowing the school's booster club to auction
off the medallion would be "political suicide" because the mascot is
offensive and the issue is extremely controversial.

NAACP member Sue Cain said she worried about someone taking the medallion
to a school event.

Nielsen said he doubted anyone would take the medallion to a school event,
because it's big and "very fragile."

Havens said the booster club, which is not directly under the board's
jurisdiction, donates thousands of dollars each year to the school for
extracurricular activities, and the auction is a good way to raise money.

Members suggested the NAACP speak with Bloomington High School
administrators, who likely gave the booster club permission to auction off
the old mascot.