Board of Ed. to introduce random drug testing policy
Final vote on issue will take place in June after community forums
BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP Staff Writer

ALLENTOWN - Those who want to have a say for or against a new random drug testing policy at Allentown High School should speak now or forever hold their peace.

The Upper Freehold Regional Board of Education will introduce a policy at its April 16 meeting that if adopted would help the district implement and conduct random drug testing of all students in grades 9-12 who participate in athletics or extracurricular and co-curricular activities, as well as students who have permits for on-campus parking, students who have violated the district substance abuse policy, and students who voluntarily elect to participate in the program with parental consent.

Students would have to provide parent/ guardian written consent for the testing. Those who do not provide a consent form for the testing would not be able to participate in the aforementioned activities.

The proposed policy has come under much scrutiny from students and parents since the board began speaking about its implementationmonths ago.Agroup called Students Morally Against Random Drug Testing (SMART) has collected and submitted to the board hundreds of signatures of students against the proposal.

Students against the proposal contend that having to submit to randomdrug testing to participate in school activities is against their rights and an invasion of privacy. Those against the testing also believe that the school district's existing drug policy, which allows teachers and administrators to call for the random drug testing of students suspected of using or being under the influence, would be adequate if enforced properly and coordinated with more outreach programs and social activities.

Due to the public's concern with the proposal, the board will take extra time on this issue, according to Board of Education President Joe Stampe. Once the board introduces the policy on April 16, it will not take a final vote on the issue until its June 18 meeting. Delaying the vote will give all those interested in having a say on the issue time to do so either at a board meeting or at one of the forums high school Principal Chris Nagy has organized regarding the policy.

The random drug testing forums are open to the public and will take place at 7 p.m. April 29, May 19 and June 3 in the high school auditorium.

The first forum will present a brief overview of the policy and comments from guest speaker Christina Steffner andmembers of the school district's Random Drug Testing Committee.

Steffner, who is the principal of Hunterdon Central Regional High School, said Hunterdon Central has been randomly drug testing its students since 1996. The school experienced an overall decrease in student drug use from 1997 to 2000 when it implemented random drug testing for student athletes. The school had an overall increase in student drug use from 2000 to 2002 when it suspended its randomdrug testing program for student athletics. The school was also involved in a random drug testing case in 2002 that went all the way to the New Jersey Supreme Court, which decided that random drug testing for students in athletics and extracurricular activities is not unconstitutional since it is notmandatory and gives students the ability to opt out by not participating in the school activities.

Steffner said parents and students who believe that random testing is an invasion of privacy and against their rights are entitled to their opinion.

"But there are currently two United States Supreme Court decisions, a New Jersey State Supreme Court decision and a New Jersey statute 18A:40A that all say it is constitutional," Steffner said.

Steffner said she believes the random testing serves as a powerful deterrent for students.

"It is just another tool that addresses a different part of the [student] population," she said.

Steffner said the under-suspicion drug testing at Allentown High School is required of all schools by state statute. She said this policy deals with students who are already drug-involved to the point that they are exhibiting signs and symptoms, including coming to school while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

"These students are already in the cycle when the recidivismrate is high," she said. "Random drug testing attempts to keep students fromgetting to that point, and we know from research [that] if we can delay the onset of drug use or diminish the frequency, we reduce the odds of addiction for that child. "

Those who attend the first forum atAllentown High School will have an opportunity to write down questions to ask Steffner, Attorney Dave Evans, and other panel members, according to Nagy.

Nagy said, "It is the hope of the administration that as much information be made available to the public for their information so that they can be informed and be given the opportunity to have appropriate questions answered."

Nagy said the randomdrug testing policy would supplement other district policies.

"This policy also would offer parents and guardians the opportunity to see appropriate assistance for their child in the event of a positive drug test," he said.

The school district would test participating students on a periodic basis during the course of the school year.Adesignated administrator or contracted provider of drug testing would randomly draw the names of a minimum of 10 percent of the participants for testing. The randomly chosen students would have their parents notified and would be tested, which includes providing a urine sample, the same day. Students who refuse or deliberately avoid testing or mask testing results or have a positive result would be deemed in violation of the high school's policy.

The district would not release results or resulting actions to anyone other than the affected students and parent/guardian.

Responses for positive test findings vary according to the number of infractions a student has had.

For the first infraction, the principal or vice principal would call the student's parents and have them removed from school to make arrangements for the mandatory medical examination pursuant to state statute. The student would complete a minimum of five counseling sessions with the substance awareness coordinator, who would determine the appropriate level of treatment.

Treatment, according to the policy, could entail attending a prevention/education programat a licensed substance abuse treatment agency or signing into or completing a drug/alcohol in-patient rehabilitation programas well as regularmeetings with the substance abuse coordinator.

Whereas it was previously stated that for the first infraction, students would be suspended from participating in athletics/ activities/parking for 30 days and could only resume those activities upon completion of a clean urine test and student assistance coordinator sessions, Nagy said that is no longer the case.

"There is a material change that is being included in the policy and will be made available on our Web site April 10," he said. "This change reflects a first instance where a student is found to test positive. On this first occasion, a student would not be removed fromthe activity but would have other expectations to follow. This will be detailed in the updated policy revision."

For a second infraction, a student falls subject to all first-infraction responses and to having to complete at least 10 counseling sessions with the substance awareness coordinator and attending a rehabilitation program within one week of the offense, the policy states.

Parents/guardians would be responsible for the cost of the treatment program. The student would continue in the recommended after-care programas well asmeet regularly with the substance awareness coordinator, according to the draft policy.

For a second infraction, the student would be suspended from sports/activities/ parking and any Board of Educationsponsored activities for 60 days. The student would be able to resume activity participation upon submission of a clean urine sample and completion of the required counseling sessions. The student would also fall subject to three more random tests.

A third infraction would result in all second infraction responses, but the student would be suspended from sports/activities/ parking for 365 days. This suspension would also include all Board of Education-sponsored activities, according to the draft policy.

The policy also states that failure to comply with its guidelines after any infraction could lead to intervention meetings among the student, parent/guardian and administration and possible referral to the Division of Youth and Family Services.

Steffner said that a district the size of Allentown may be able to run the program for under $3,000 a year. She said there are U.S. Department of Education grants available for the program. She also said that many districts fundraise or get donations for their programs from local businesses and municipal alliances.