SCHOOL SYSTEMS ACROSS THE STATE ARE STRUGGLING WITH DRUG TESTING

The committee examining possible drug testing for Hartselle's student
athletes won't be starting from scratch. More and more Alabama school
systems are requiring drug tests for student athletes and are instituting
policies designed to keep sports programs clean of drugs, alcohol and tobacco.

According to Dan Washburn, executive director of the Alabama High School
Athletic Association, some 20-30 of the state's 130 public school systems
require drug tests for students participating in extracurricular athletic
events.

"We don't have a policy we recommend," Washburn said. "We leave it up
entirely to the local school system."

The Hoover School System, located just south of Birmingham in Jefferson
County, is one that requires student athletes to take drug tests. It's a
large system, with some 10,000 students. The system has 15 schools, five of
which are middle or high schools.

Ron Swann, assistant principal at Hoover High School and drug testing
coordinator for the system, said its policy is the result of more than a
year's worth of meetings with parents, students and teachers.

"It (the policy) is just a piece of our prevention and intervention
policy," Swann said. "It's not the end all of what we do, but it has been
one of the best things we've done. It's brought the subject of drugs and
alcohol use out of the closet."

Swann said the system will test more than 1,000 students this year. Of
those, 3-5 percent will test positive.

"We were told the low would probably be around 8 percent and the high
around 15 percent. We were pleased that the numbers came in where they
did," Swann said.

Tests are conducted randomly, Swann said. Principals are informed before a
round of tests are conducted, but coaches are not.

Swann said Hoover's testing costs some $25,000 last year. However, local
legislators, using discretionary funds, picked up the tab.

"The cost to the system itself is zero," Swann said.

Hoover's policy applies to all school sports teams and cheerleading squads.
The policy applies to all student athletes in grades seven to 12. It allows
for all student athletes to be tested prior and during their sports season,
as well as on a random basis.

For random tests, student's names are pulled from a computerized sample
list. Once notified that their name has been selected, a student has four
hours to report for testing.

If a school employee suspects a student athlete is using drugs, the policy
also allows for that student to be tested at that time.

Students are tested for alcohol, amphetamines, marijuana, cocaine and
opiates. They can also be tested for steroids, tobacco and barbituates. The
drug tests can include blood, hair, breath, saliva or urine sampling.

Parental approval is required for these tests.

If a test is positive for tobacco, alcohol or other drugs, results are sent
to the School Board's Medical Review Officer. If the results are confirmed
positive, the student is subject to discipline, including suspension from
the sports activity.

Disciplinary measures include:

First offense - A student is suspended from the sport they are
participating in for 25 percent of the year's remaining contests. They must
pass a drug test before they can be reinstated.

Second offense - The student is suspended from "participating in any sports
or activity" for the remainder of the school year in which the second
violation occurs, with a minimum suspension of eight weeks. Before the
student can be reinstated, he or she must pass a drug test and undergo
counseling.

Third offense - The student is suspended from any sports or activity for a
full calendar year. A clean drug test and counseling is again required
before reinstatement.

Refusing the drug test will result in discipline that could include
suspension from the sports activity. However, the policy stipulates that
any student testing positive or refusing to take the test will not be
penalized academically, nor will the information be turned over to police
unless the board is required to do so by law.

Each student athlete is required to sign a form indicating agreement with
the system's tobacco, drugs and alcohol regulations. The agreement extends
to what the policy refers to as "after-school hours conduct."