DRUG TESTING IN CLINTON SCHOOLS CONCERNS CIVIL LIBERTARIANS

CLINTON, Mich. - It could be the scent of alcohol or the bloodshot eyes.
Whatever the signs, Clinton school officials are trained to look for
chemical abuse in students.

Students under suspicion are sent to the principal's office for a
controversial drug test.

The Clinton Community Schools system has adopted a drug and alcohol policy
that uses a saliva-based test to give immediate results.

The two-month-old policy has been a deterrent in the school's ongoing
battle to curb substance abuse, officials said.

But some students and civil libertarians have criticized the test, saying
it violates the pupils' privacy rights.

They also question whether teachers have enough training to identify
potential drug abusers.

"What if your eyes are bloodshot because your contacts hurt, or what if you
smell because you were with your friends who might have smoked a joint?
Then you have to be embarrassed because a teacher thought something," said
Sheresa Stamatz, a Clinton High School senior. "You have to go home and
tell your parents that you were drug-tested even if they didn't find anything."

Clinton school board members approved the policy in October to discourage
chemical abuse among middle and high school students. Board President
Douglas Murray said the 1,240-pupil district has seen its share of drugs.

A recent fatal drug overdose is proof of the problem in the Lenawee County
community, he said.

An 18-year-old former Clinton high student died in August after ingesting
different types of drugs, police said. The young man wasn't a Clinton
student at the time of his death, but school officials said they wanted to
send a message that even casual drug use was unacceptable.

"We feel it's a way to hopefully try to keep the school as clean as we
can," Mr. Murray said.

"It's innovative, and it's something we feel we can do legally as long as
we have reasonable suspicions."

School administrators said the test is only given after a teacher has
observed behavior associated with drug use.

At that point, the student is summoned to the principal's office and
questioned about drugs.

"They can either deny it, or they can admit it to me," principal Jim DuVall
said. "If they deny it, I offer the option of being tested to prove that
they are correct. If they refuse the test, we consider that an admission of
guilt."

If guilty on a first or second offense, the student is suspended for three
or five days. A third offense results in a 10-day suspension and a
recommendation for expulsion, he said.

Although the policy has been in place only a few months, the procedure has
been used three times, Mr. DuVall said. In one case, a teenager admitted
that he was under the influence. Two other teens who took the test showed
no drugs in their systems.

Parents are informed about the school's intentions as soon as possible, Mr.
DuVall said.

The policy carefully avoids permitting random testing of students, and
spells out the types of physical signs and behavior to guide staff members
when they suspect drug use. School administrators have been trained to
administer the test. Teachers also attended a seminar on what kinds of
behavior and signs to observe in students.

The test itself, which examines the blood particles found in a swab of
saliva, shows when marijuana, opiates, cocaine, or methamphetamines are
present. The school also has a Breathalyzer to test for intoxication, Mr.
DuVall said.

As part of the program, each positive test result is double-checked by a
laboratory before a student is disciplined.

The school pays for each test, which costs about $20.

"I have 20 of them now and the shelf life is one year," Mr. DuVall said.
"It costs less than $500 a year, a pretty good investment if it keeps kids
from using drugs in school.

All tests are discarded, eliminating the fear that the school will store
information on students, he said.

Privacy issues and the possibility that the school could create biological
records or test for other things, such as pregnancy, concerns some civil
rights groups.

Although most groups, including the National Education Association, oppose
random drug testing, many do not have positions that deal with testing
students who display signs of drug use.

Michael Simpson, the education association's assistant general counsel,
said it is difficult to comment on the policy without studying the test or
its reliability.

He said that he knows of no other school district in the area that has a
similar drug testing policy or uses the saliva test.

In Ohio, the Toledo Public Schools tests some of its athletes and Wood
County's North Baltimore Local School District has a policy to test
student-athletes and other extracurricular activities.

In the Lake Local Schools, high school athletes are tested before each of
three sports seasons.

The U.S. Supreme Court recently agreed to hear a drug-testing case
involving the Tecumseh School District in Oklahoma. That district wants to
randomly screen students involved in extracurricular activities, including
the choir.

Wendy Wagenheim, spokeswoman for the American Civil Liberties Union in
Michigan, said her group opposes drug testing in schools - especially
random ones. She questioned the possible consequences of the district's policy.

"I would be concerned about what they do with this information. Are the
kids charged in the legal system? And what about a one-time user versus an
habitual user?" Ms. Wagenheim asked.

"Drug testing is not always accurate and certainly doesn't indicate abuse
of drugs. And you're talking about a kid's future."

Clinton police chief Mike Randolph said his department is only notified if
drugs are actually found on the students.

"Legally, we cannot be involved in the testing because it is not proven for
police testing," he said. School officials say the ORAL, created by Avitar,
Inc., of Canton, Mass., has proven credible in court trials, because it
tests blood particles in the saliva.

Meanwhile, the reaction among students is mixed.

Although some oppose the policy, others say it's a good way to stop drug
and alcohol abuse.

"Whatever keeps us safe," said senior Kevin Kimpell, 17, who participates
on the school's basketball, football, and track teams. "I don't do drugs so
I'm not worried about it. And those who do, don't have a place in school."