STUDENTS TO BE GIVEN DRUG TESTS

A policy that would provide for random drug and alcohol tests on
students who participate in sports and other extracurricular
activities was approved by Lexington 3 officials Tuesday night.

The measure could cost about $8,000 and affect nearly 1,000 students.
The district will begin testing students in grades seven through 12
beginning this fall.

The policy will target alcohol and drug use, including marijuana,
opiates, cocaine and PCP. Superintendent Bill Gummerson said the
district will not test for steroid use because that is too expensive.

The district will test 25 percent of students involved in
extracurricular activities, and students will sign a testing-consent
form before being allowed to participate.

Students who fail a test will receive a two-week suspension from the
activity and be assigned to counseling sessions. A second violation
would trigger a one-year suspension, and a third violation would end
a student's participation in all extracurricular activities.

The district will hire an independent testing organization to do the
screening. Each student will be assigned an identification number
that would be selected randomly by computer.