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Crittenden Plans Student Drug Testing

Posted on: Saturday, 21 January 2006, 15:00 CST

By Molly Harper, The Paducah Sun, Ky.

Jan. 21--MARION, Ky. -- While the Crittenden County school board plans to implement random student drug testing before next year, Superintendent John Belt said any testing policy will be considered carefully.

"We plan to look at this in detail before we do anything," he said. The proposed policy was discussed at a board work session last week.

Because discussions are still preliminary, Belt said the board hadn't determined specifics such as which groups of middle/high school students would be tested. He said the test policies of other schools such as Marshall or Christian counties will be used as a pattern.

"We are aware that our community has a fairly high incidence of drug abuse by adults," Belt said. "We want to do something at the school level to stop that."

The school board is collecting drug-related data from law enforcement officers to be used as arguments for the policy. Belt added that the proposal isn't based on student behavior.

"We're not naive enough to believe that we don't have (drugs) in our schools," he said. "There is some. We know this is a problem in society. We want to be proactive in helping our students say 'no.'"

Belt said he wants to make the pool of potentially tested students as large as possible, but those eligible will probably include students who drive to school or participate in extracurricular activities, such as sports, clubs, or band and choir. State law allows schools to test students involved in special activities. Testing based solely on suspicion of drug use is not allowed.

Crittenden County High School Principal Karen Nasseri said her students have not expressed opinions about the proposal.

"They aren't really questioning it or saying much about it," she said. "Maybe when it becomes official, it will be a bigger deal. There might be more of a reaction. But right now, the kids seem to think, 'If it happens, it happens.'"

Testing would begin in August. Based on policies in other school systems, Belt said, testing could be conducted every two weeks or every month by an independent health agency. Belt would be the only administrator notified when a student tested positive. A positive test result could get the student suspended from team or club participation and referred to counseling.

Nasseri said she hasn't done enough research to form an opinion about the testing.

"If it prevents students from using drugs, I'm for it," she said, adding that she hopes to learn more about the subject at a district meeting next month.

Belt said testing would give students another resource in their fight against peer pressure.

"For us, this is another reason for them to stay off drugs, another reason to say no," he said. "We want them to be able to say, 'I can't participate in that. I don't want to lose the privilege of participating in my favorite school activities.'"

Belt said he has not been contacted about the policies, but several board members received positive comments after last week's discussions.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Paducah Sun, Ky.

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Source: The Paducah Sun

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