SCHOOLS TO DRUG-TEST ATHLETES

COLOMA -- Coloma High School athletes are used to facing Panthers, Bobcats
and Mustangs.

But now they have another challenge: random drug testing.

The School Board at a special meeting Monday night unanimously approved the
student-athlete drug testing policy as proposed by Athletic Director
Richard Becht. It covers members of all competitive sports teams in all
grades, including cheerleaders.

Becht said the district is the first in Berrien, Van Buren or Cass counties
to adopt such a policy.

Superintendent David DeFields said Coloma's policy has been reviewed by its
lawyer and is modeled after a program in the Grand Blanc schools, near Flint.

The policy, which goes into effect immediately, will give team members who
test positive for drugs two options for the first offense: enter a six-week
counseling program with weekly drug testing, or be ineligible for 25
percent of the sports season.

"Under the program, we (the school) will randomly select anywhere from 5
percent to 20 percent of the athletes by computer to undergo a drug test at
the end of the school day," Becht said.

Urine samples will be taken by employees of Community Hospital, Watervliet
and tested for six different types of drugs.

If the results come back positive, "I will contact the athletes' parents
and athlete to offer them the two available options," Becht said.

"Right now we don't know if any athlete is using drugs and won't know until
they're caught by a law enforcement agency," he said. "If they have a
problem with drug usage, it's best we find out now and help them with their
problem rather than let it grow out of control in later years."

Becht said the program's purpose is to help, not punish.

"We think this is a very positive step, a deterrent, another reason to say
"no' to their peers," he said this morning. "We don't ignore anything else
with our athletes -- their attitudes or behavior -- why would we ignore
drug use?"

Becht said he had been discussing the policy since spring, so all of the
parents and athletes know about it.

The School Board had discussed the policy in meetings this month and in
September. No one has spoken against the policy in board meetings.

Becht said at various "meet-the-team" nights, to be conducted prior to the
start of winter sports, parents and athletes will be asked to sign an
agreement outlining the options available.

"If they decline to sign the agreement, the athlete will not be allowed to
participate in any sporting program," Becht said. "We don't have any more
of a problem with drugs than any school district, but we're going to do
everything we can to help an athlete who needs it."

Michigan courts have ruled that athletes can be singled out for random drug
testing, Becht said. Since school attendance is a right, testing is
forbidden for the general student body.

However, it's unclear whether it's legal to test participants in non-
sports, extracurricular activities, he said.

Becht said he believes other area schools could follow Coloma's lead. Many
districts have been dissuaded by drug testing costs. Becht said Community
Hospital's tests cost $28 each, but other labs wanted to charge as much as
$70 per test.

In another matter, the board met in closed session to discuss pay talks
with the district's 130 teachers.

DeFields said the school system is in its third year of a three-year
contract with teachers, with only salaries open to negotiations.