District: No Plans to Change Drug Test Policy
In 2001, the
Huntsville ISD Board of Trustees voted against a policy that would require its
students who were involved in extracurricular activities to have mandatory drug
tests. Now, some Montgomery County schools are considering implementing such a
policy.
Willis ISD implemented a no-tolerance drug policy for its students more than a
year ago, and installing a mandatory drug testing policy would help, said Willis
ISD superintendent Brian Zemlicka.
The Willis ISD Board of Trustees will vote next week whether it will require its
students to be tested for drugs.
If approved, the tests will be administered to students between seventh and 12th
grade who are involved in extracurricular activities including sports or clubs.
"The message is not to try to catch kids, but the intent is to give kids an
out," Zemlicka said. "If they are approached and have peer pressure to do
drugs, they will have some support to say 'I can't because I am in this club and
I will get kicked out.'"
If approved, drug testing would be administered to Willis ISD students at the
beginning of the school year and then randomly once a month.
Huntsville ISD superintendent Fred Rush said since its 2001 vote, the board of
trustees has not considered changing its policy on drug testing.
"It would depend on the wishes of the board on whether we would come back and
look at it," he said.
Although drug testing has been successful in other school districts, Huntsville
ISD has no data to support whether drug usage has increased in the past two
years, Rush said.
When it reviewed the possible drug testing policy in 2001, data showed a little
over 8 percent of the total student population used drugs, alcohol or tobacco.
The data came from a HISD-formed drug task force which studied drug and alcohol
use by students.
However, when those findings were presented, board member Brian Smith ( now
president of the board ) cited a student survey in which 30 percent of the
10th-through 12th-grade students at Huntsville High School surveyed admitted to
using illicit drugs.
The proposed 2001 policy was voted down partly because parents, students and
legal advisors opposed it. In the Oct. 26, 2001 board meeting - when the vote
was made - 15 community members voiced arguments about implementing the policy.
Board member Kay Douglas said the support of the community was essential to the
success of any plan involving drug testing in HISD.
"This is a community problem that requires a community solution," she said at
the time.
If Huntsville ISD revisits the drug testing policy, the intent would be to help
students, Rush said.
"It would be not to try and catch them, but so they would have a way out to say
no," he said.
Although it does not require its students to be drug tested, Huntsville ISD
helps educate its students about drug usage in other ways. It has a health
education curriculum which reaches students of all grade levels. In addition,
the district will host an anti-drug red ribbon rally later this month.
Encouraging students to be involved in extracurricular activities also helps
deter drug use, Rush said.
"When kids have idle time on their hands, they are apt to get into trouble," he
said.
Newshawk: Herb
Pubdate: Thu, 02 Oct 2003
Source: Huntsville Item (TX)
Copyright: 2003 Huntsville Item and Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.
Contact: item@lcc.net.
Website:
http://www.itemonline.com/
Details:
http://www.mapinc.org/media/1126
Author: Twila Lindblade
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