Student drug testing approved on Thursday

The Glasgow School Board officially passed its school drug testing policy for students who wish to participate in activities at the high school on Thursday. The policy has been in the works since early September and is expected to be fully implemented before the end of the winter sports season.

The policy was brought about as a way to deter and stop any drug use happening in the school system. Through surveys and reports from area law enforcement and discipline history from within the school district, the board determined that in order to hold students more accountable they would implement a drug testing system. In the policy it states that it has been adopted for the safety of all students, so that everyone can have a safe environment in which to compete.

The policy itself does not state which drugs the school will be testing for, mostly to allow the board the flexibility to change the test as the system progresses. In preliminary meetings, the drugs discussed were marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines (including meth-amphetamines), opiates and possibly some prescription drugs, such as oxycodone (OxyContin). All students will have the opportunity to notify administrators if they are taking any prescription or over-the-counter medication before taking the test, with the understanding that the administration would have the right to confirm that information with a health care provider, or parent/guardian if the student is under 18.

All sports and clubs will be tested, including students wishing to go on the school's trip to Washington D.C. Students can't be penalized academically for a positive test, say if the student is involved in band or chorus, but every positive test will come with a  loss of participation. There will also be random drug testing throughout the school year and school administrators have the right to test a student if there is a reasonable suspicion that the student is under the influence.

Though the exact amount of participation days a student would lose is dependent upon the activity, if a student chooses to report his or her self, the maximum discipline would be 7 days from competition. However, if disiplined, a suspension could carry through to the next school year. There is an appeals process and all test results will be confidential.

The tests, which cost on average $5 per student, will be paid for by the school board and administered by representatives from Francis Mahon Deaconess Hospital.

In order to participate in any activity, from this season on it will be mandatory for the student to take a drug test before the season begins. Students will be asked to sign a consent form before taking the test. Again, those students under 18 will have to have a parents signature as well.

This first round of testing will be set at random dates, making sure that every student who participates in a winter activity will be tested before the end of their season. That could amount to nearly 90 percent of the school being tested in the first round.

A student will only have to be tested once each school year, so students tested this season will not need to be retested in the spring.
Glasgow's drug policy is being looked at by other area schools as a trial run for them to implement something similar.