School board continues to explore drug testing

The school board continued to explore the pros and cons of a drug-testing program for all extra-curricular school activities last week. The board agreed that such a testing program should be part of a larger student wellness program.

Superintendent Jim Golden reported that the concept of a student wellness program is being developed in conjunction with St. Charles Medical Center and several local physicians. The program would focus on ways to develop and encourage healthy habits.

The board invited head lacrosse coach Bill Rexford to share his team's experience with drug screening. The lacrosse program is a club sport run through Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD). This made implementation of a pilot drug-testing program much easier to initiate.

Rexford said, "To not drug test would be disrespectful...without testing we are saying, 'We don't care about you'...without testing, I think we are part of the problem.

"Drugs are the number-one reason children lie to their parents," Rexford continued. "The fact that we are testing our students means that parents and our players will have an excuse to talk about drugs; this is never going to be a bad thing."

Rexford reported that in a confidential survey taken last June, 41 percent of the 11th and 12th grade students reported that they had tried marijuana at some time in their life, and 30 percent reported using marijuana in the last 30 days.

To kick off the lacrosse testing program, kids that had indicated an interest in lacrosse were given notice 90 days before the season started that there would be drug testing on the first day of practice "so that they could study for that test and quit," said Rexford, "The whole point is to get them on the team. They want to be part of a group with high expectations."

Of the 50 kids that turned out for the team, only two failed the test. If a student fails the initial test they are brought back the next day for a second, more comprehensive baseline test, and they are suspended from the team for a week. At the end of that week they were tested again, and weekly after that. As long as there is a continued decrease in their testing they are allowed to come back. One student remained with the team and continued to qualify.

"In the last three years I've had people come to me, and tell me, 'My kid is smoking marijuana; can you help?' I didn't know how to help. I wanted to give the kids an 'out' to not do drugs for that season," said Rexford.

He sees testing as a way to give the kids that "out."

Board member Cheryl Stewart questioned Rexford about the kids' reaction to the program; he replied, "The majority of kids are relieved. They said 'thank you, we are relieved that we don't have to deal with that.' Relief followed by pride. I don't think there is any negative (to the program)."

Superintendent Golden expressed his support for the concept, and indicated his wish that such a program could be implemented on a voluntary basis, and as part of an overall student healthy habits wellness program. He also said, "I applaud the lacrosse program for having the courage to do this."

Board member Glen Lasken pointed out, "We've talked about drug testing two or three times over the last 13 years I've been on the board. I would like to know where this fits with other schools in our area." Specifically, Lasken, an attorney, expressed concerns with the controversy and legal challenges that other schools may have faced.

Lasken also expressed a concern echoed by Stewart that "there is the potential that we could lose contact with some kids. One of the reasons we have such a low dropout rate is this is a very inclusive school district. We give kids all kinds of opportunity to stay engaged. Not every kid is a straight-A student, or goes to school because they love to learn. Often there is a hook somewhere, often a sport, which keeps them in school. My concern is that we might lose some of those kids."

Through his various organizations and meetings, Golden will be collecting anecdotal data on the experiences of other districts as well as input from the district's legal team. The intent is to have sufficient data to allow the board to make a decision early enough that at least this portion of the wellness program would be ready for fall sports.