Says school should reconsider policy
Member Greg Gillette called for the end of random drug testing for students at Monday’s Board of Education meeting.
The policy, passed in 2008, “has not lived up to what it was supposed to do,” he told the board. “It hasn’t changed the culture of the schools.”
If the policy was dropped, it would free money for other anti-drug efforts, like hiring another drug abuse counselor, to help youngsters, he said.
The board has authorized random drug testing of pupils in athletics, extracurricular activities, school clubs, and pupils granted parking permits for on-campus parking.
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The policy says the emphasis in administering the program should be on deterrence and remediation rather than punishment of pupils who test positive for alcohol, non-prescribed medications, illegal drugs or their metabolites. If a pupil tests positive, “consequences… will be followed according to board regulation,” the policy reads.
No pupil shall be expelled or suspended as a sole result of any verified test conducted by the school.
At the meeting, there was no discussion of Mr. Gillette’s proposal. He asked for the administration to respond to the idea, didn’t put a timeline on their report.