By Eileen Oldfield Staff Writer
Parents and students will have a chance to comment on the school district’s planned random drug testing policy on Jan. 3, after scheduling conflicts caused the Board of Education to move up its first meeting of the new year.
The meeting, which had originally been scheduled for Jan. 14, will include an overview of the policy’s evolution in the district, results from the 2004 student drug survey, cost to draft the policy, and cost to implement the policy, along with public and board input on the draft.
The meeting will start at 7:30 p.m. at Auten Road Intermediate School.
According to the policy draft posted on the district Web site, students in athletics, extracurricular activies, school clubs, and students receiving parking permits would be subject to the tests. While the policy did not specify the type of test used, students would be tested for alcohol, non-prescribed prescription medicines, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines and steroids.
Though the policy will be presented at the meeting, it could still undergo changes from board and residents input before being brought for approval and implementation.
Research and board debate over the policy began in 2003, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled a similar random drug test policy in the Hunterdon Central School district met constitutional requirements.
A 2005 Hillsborough High School student survey, undertaken to determine the need for random drug tests in the district, revealed the number of students trying drugs and alcohol increased between freshman and senior years, but were below national averages for drug use.
Introduction of the policy, which was drafted during the summer, was postponed until after legislators clarified state-set test processing guidelines. Previously, random drug tests approved by the state cost between $10 and $15 each for processing.
The board discussed other dates for the meeting before setting the Jan. 3 date.
Policy Committee Chairman David Kanaby said he wouldn’t be able to attend a meeting scheduled for Jan. 14, and asked to reschedule the meeting to allow time for him to review the policy with board members.
The board briefly considered a move to Jan. 7, the date of the township municipal reorganization meeting.
Board member Frank Blandino who has been a critic of the drug testing policy and also serves as the township’s prosecutor objected to the date since he will be at the township reorganization meeting.
A draft of the policy is on the Web site at www.hillsborough.k12.nj.us/hillsborough/lib/hillsborough/RANDOM_DRUG_TESTING_POLICY_-

