COURT OKS DRUG TESTING STUDENTS

Some Area Schools Already Check Kids On Extracurricular Teams

El Paso Superintendent Jim Miller is confident his school district is doing
the right thing by randomly drug testing students involved in
extracurricular activities.

But he is happy to have the U.S. Supreme Court on his side.

In a 5-4 decision Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled drug testing students
who join competitive after-school activities or teams is OK, even if there
is no reason to suspect wrongdoing. The decision was based on a case in
Oklahoma.

"I think the Supreme Court rule hopefully confirms what we are doing. We
look at it as a deterrent, not a gotcha-type program. We hope it gives
students one more reason to say no," Miller said.

The El Paso district will continue drug testing next school year because
officials think it works. It will be the fifth year the district has
randomly administered urine tests for sixth-through 12th-grade students
involved in activities or athletics.

"We use very unscientific but very reliable data - our students. They say
this program works. Each year we have gotten a positive response," Miller said.

The district tests between 150 and 170 students annually and so far no one
has tested positive for drugs. Only two students have refused the test,
which means they were not allowed to participate in the activity.

Those chosen for testing are selected randomly by BroMenn Regional Medical
Center using their ID numbers.

Metamora High School Superintendent Ken Maurer said the Supreme Court
decision won't change his mind. He still isn't planning to test his
students for drugs.

"We have talked about it and pretty much have said we think it is too much
of an invasion of privacy," Maurer said. "We do want to discourage drug use
but I'm not so sure we want to go as far as drug testing."

Maurer is not only troubled by the breach of privacy, but he doesn't like
the message it sends to students.

"It tells them we are not very trusting of you," Maurer said.

The ruling isn't likely to change the policy in Peoria District 150, either.

"District 150 does not drug test any student. We're confident our present
program of drug education combined with discipline is effective," said
District 150 spokesman John Day.

Some educators wondered if this policy wouldn't test the wrong group of
students because participation in extracurricular activities is a deterrent
to drugs and alcohol.

"The kids that are most active are probably less likely to go astray," Day
said.

The American Civil Liberties Union is vocally opposed to the Supreme Court
decision and encourages school districts to not follow the court's lead.

"Students do not forfeit their rights when they walk through the school
door. This is a major imposition on one's personal privacy," said Colleen
Connell, executive director of the ACLU of Illinois.

Professional data shows that the best way to keep students in school is to
encourage their participation in extracurricular activities, she said.

There could be a lack of accuracy and confidentiality related to the tests,
she continued. But Peoria police Officer Dave Knauss, who works with the
DARE program, said he supports anything that will deter students from drug use.

"Doesn't the prospect of punishment discourage some borderline people from
doing something?" Knauss asked.

There would probably be some students who don't participate in activities
because of drug testing, but he said there is a problem out there and
something needs to be done. People need to understand that this isn't
necessarily for punishment, Knauss said.

"Some people may falter along the way and we want to catch that person
before it is too late," he said.

But state Rep. David Leitch, R-Peoria, said he "isn't a big fan" of
mandatory drug testing unless there is a public reason to do it.

"The war against drugs has pretty much been a total failure. I hate seeing
civil liberties eroded on a failed program," Leitch said.

But he said that is a decision to be left to the local school districts.