District gathering feedback about drug testing proposal
Board plans to discuss matter further in April
The Board of Education will discuss the proposal for student drug testing at its April meeting. Photo by EMILY CANNING-DEAN
WADSWORTH – Parents and other community members have a few opportunities to provide the school district with feedback about a proposal to provide random drug testing for some students in the future.
Superintendent Andrew Hill said a committee that was formed to look at the possibility of drug testing will host forums at the Wadsworth High School Performing Arts Center March 27 at 7 p.m. and March 29 at 9 a.m. Community members are welcome to attend these forums to ask questions and give opinions about the proposal. Community members are also asked to log on to the district’s website, www.wadsworth.k12.oh.us to complete a short survey about the proposal for random drug testing.
“We have already received around 600 responses from the survey,” Hill said. “Our goal we are working toward is to finish our public comment process and then at the board’s April meeting have some further discussion about the proposal.”
Hill said the Board of Education would need to make a decision by June if they plan to implement the random drug testing policy by next school year.
The proposed plan would be to drug test all students in grades 7-12 who are legally allowed to be drug tested. This would include all athletes as well as students who participate in an extracurricular activity that is not tied to an academic grade. Students who purchase a parking pass so they can drive to school would also be included. Parents who want to have their children drug tested could also opt their children into the pool.
According to the proposed policy, all of the students within the pool would be drug tested at the beginning of the activity’s season. Then each month a group of 20 to 30 students would be randomly picked to be drug tested.
The district would contract with an outside company to carry out the drug testing. The drug testing would take place on site, but would not be administered by school district personnel.
A medical review officer would review all of the results of the drug test to determine if there is a positive result. If a positive result is determined, the medical review officer would contact either WHS Principal Steve Moore or WMS Principal Eric Jackson. The respective principals would then contact the parents to discuss consequences and treatment options.
A student with a positive drug test result would have two choices during a first offense. The student could either go through a drug assessment and possible treatment with a licensed, certified professional and continue to participate in his or her extracurricular activity or they can refuse the assessment and would face a 50 percent suspension in an athletic activity or a nine-week suspension from a club.
In the case of a second offense, a student who chose the first option the first time must continue with treatment and then would face a 50 percent or nine-week suspension from their extracurricular activity. A student who did not take the first option the second time would have the option of starting a treatment/assessment program and would face a 75 percent or 18-week suspension. The student could also refuse treatment and then he or she would not be allowed to participate in athletics or clubs.
In the case of a third offense, the student would no longer be allowed to participate in extracurricular activities.
The estimated cost of the drug tests is $13 per test or about $20,000 annually.
Superintendent Andrew Hill said a committee that was formed to look at the possibility of drug testing will host forums at the Wadsworth High School Performing Arts Center March 27 at 7 p.m. and March 29 at 9 a.m. Community members are welcome to attend these forums to ask questions and give opinions about the proposal. Community members are also asked to log on to the district’s website, www.wadsworth.k12.oh.us to complete a short survey about the proposal for random drug testing.
“We have already received around 600 responses from the survey,” Hill said. “Our goal we are working toward is to finish our public comment process and then at the board’s April meeting have some further discussion about the proposal.”
Hill said the Board of Education would need to make a decision by June if they plan to implement the random drug testing policy by next school year.
The proposed plan would be to drug test all students in grades 7-12 who are legally allowed to be drug tested. This would include all athletes as well as students who participate in an extracurricular activity that is not tied to an academic grade. Students who purchase a parking pass so they can drive to school would also be included. Parents who want to have their children drug tested could also opt their children into the pool.
According to the proposed policy, all of the students within the pool would be drug tested at the beginning of the activity’s season. Then each month a group of 20 to 30 students would be randomly picked to be drug tested.
The district would contract with an outside company to carry out the drug testing. The drug testing would take place on site, but would not be administered by school district personnel.
A medical review officer would review all of the results of the drug test to determine if there is a positive result. If a positive result is determined, the medical review officer would contact either WHS Principal Steve Moore or WMS Principal Eric Jackson. The respective principals would then contact the parents to discuss consequences and treatment options.
A student with a positive drug test result would have two choices during a first offense. The student could either go through a drug assessment and possible treatment with a licensed, certified professional and continue to participate in his or her extracurricular activity or they can refuse the assessment and would face a 50 percent suspension in an athletic activity or a nine-week suspension from a club.
In the case of a second offense, a student who chose the first option the first time must continue with treatment and then would face a 50 percent or nine-week suspension from their extracurricular activity. A student who did not take the first option the second time would have the option of starting a treatment/assessment program and would face a 75 percent or 18-week suspension. The student could also refuse treatment and then he or she would not be allowed to participate in athletics or clubs.
In the case of a third offense, the student would no longer be allowed to participate in extracurricular activities.
The estimated cost of the drug tests is $13 per test or about $20,000 annually.