School board wants input before Oct. 22 discussion
By Gene Robbins, Managing Editor
School board members expect an impassioned debate Monday, Oct. 22, on continuing the random drug testing program that has been in place at the high school for four years.
The board’s Education Committee is expected to meet this morning, Thursday, to craft a recommendation that will be presented to the board and form the precise question to be debated.
The committee could recommend continuing the policy. If a majority of the full board concurred, the question would be decided.
The committee also could suggest replacing or tweaking the policy, which would require at least two meetings — one to introduce the policy and another to have a hearing and possibly vote, said Board President Thomas Kinst.
Despite repeated pleas to the public for feedback, the school board has received just five letters on the topic since early October. The school posted a three-question survey to which 700 people responded. Respondents were asked if they policy should be continued or discontinued and were invited to add comments.
The survey asked participants to identify themselves as either a parent of a Hillsborough high school student, parent of a student in another school, a high school student or a community member.
They were asked to check if there were any additional measures they would support “in order to deter student drug use.” Choices listed use of a Breathalyzer before, during or after school/extracurricular events; locker searches; canine search in school facility; canine search in school parking lot; or any other ideas.
Lisa Gulla, who said she had worked in drug abuse prevention for more than 20 years, told the board at its meeting Monday night that she thought the random drug testing was a “positive tool” and “one more layer to work on prevention and intervention.”
”The earlier you can reach someone in addiction, the more likely they can get better,” said Ms. Gulla, who said she was a member of the Hillsborough-Millstone Municipal Alliance, an anti-drug and alcohol group.
She said testing was effective because of the chance students might be barred from sports or other activities, thus losing their standing in the school population.
Random drug testing was “absolutely not” the be-all and end-all, she said, but it did help.
”It’s another small piece of the puzzle,” she said.
At previous meetings, the board has heard comments from two former board members, Neil Hudes and Marc Rosenberg.
This Monday, the board noted receipt of a letter from Barbara Sargent, a board member for two years until 2011. She supported continuing the policy.
”It has offered me an important opportunity to speak with my sons about drug use and our family’s expectations for a clean and healthy lifestyle,” said Dr. Sargent, who is the superintendent in the Readington Township school district. “It also has served as an important reminder that certain professions may impose drug testing on employees, adding a critical ‘career readiness’ aspect to the discussion.”
Only high school students who want to participate in extracurricular activities or sports or gain permission to drive to school fall under the policy.
Only a limited number of students — somewhere around 200 — were tested from 2008 to 2011, and only about 50 in 2012. In the first three years, a range of 2.5 to 4 percent tested positive with six of the 50 tested in 2012.
”I understand that district data may cause some administrators and board members to infer that student drug use has not been reduced by this policy,” Dr. Sargent said.
That didn’t necessarily mean the laws weren’t working, she said, but “rather, our communities should consider gun laws, drug testing policies and other deterrent strategies as one layer among many in our concerted effort to keep our young people and citizens safe and healthy.”

