PARENT PUSHING FOR NEW LOOK AT ROCKRIDGE DRUG TESTING

TAYLOR RIDGE - A Rockridge parent plans to once again address the
district's school board about a new random drug testing policy for
students.

Scott Fairman said he plans to ask school officials for a town hall
meeting about the policy, which began this year for junior and senior
high students in the Rockridge School District. The Rockridge School
District's board meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday.

"I'm going to try and get another town hall meeting set up for
parents," Mr. Fairman said. "I want another town hall meeting so all
parents can voice their opinion."

At the November board meeting, Mr. Fairman had presented the board
with the signatures of about 20 parents who, like him, are worried
that the new policy will ostracize students who test positive. There
are also concerns that the testing will erode the trust that parents
build with their children.

Under the policy, students who don't agree to be tested are not be
allowed to park on school property or participate in extra-curricular
activities. Five students a week are tested at random.

School officials have stressed that the random drug testing policy is
another tool that will help students resist the peer pressure to
participate in substance use and is not a replacement for parenting.

Superintendent Jack Bambrick said that there were town hall meetings
for parents to give feedback before the policy was implemented in
September. The district approved the policy after a year and a half of
studying the issue and gathering feedback.

Other area school districts also require random drug testing for
students involved in extracurricular activities.

The Orion, Erie, Sherrard, Rock Falls, Cambridge and United Township
school districts also have drug testing policies. Alleman High School,
a private Catholic school in Rock Island, randomly tests all its
students. The types of tests and the penalties students face for
positive tests vary among the districts.

The Rockridge school board meeting is at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Rockridge
High School, 14110 134th Ave. W., Taylor Ridge.