Students in grades five through 12 at Bellwood-Antis who participate in extra-curriculur activities will soon have to submit to drug testing, but not before the program is tested for a year first.
Last evening, the Bellwood-Antis School Board of Directors unanimously voted, 9-0, to revise the student handbook to include drug and alcohol testing beginning in the 2003-04 school year.
High School principal Mike Sakash said the implementation of this policy will have dual purposes.
“I think it’s a positive move on behalf of the district not only to eliminate drugs and alcohol from the school,” said Michael Sakash, principal at B-A High School, “but more importantly, it gives a lot of good kids an out.
“We hope this acts as a deterrent. On weekends, when kids tend to party, if they know they are going to be tested on a Monday or Tuesday, or if that possibility exists, they are most likely to refrain,” he continued. “It gives them an excuse not to partake in drugs or alcohol.”
According to the policy, last evening’s approval will allow the district to randomly ask students to submit a urine sample for the screening. This sample will then be tested by an independent laboratory for amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cocaine, marijuana, methadone, methaqualone, phencyclidune, propoxyphene, opiates-heroin, and even alcohol.
“One of the things that separates our policy from a lot of other policies is that we’re testing for alcohol,” said Sakash. “We know that’s heavily abused by teenagers, not only in our district, but in all other districts.”
Next year will be the pilot program and officials hope to kick off a full-steam program beginning in 2004-05. During the first year, students who volunteer for the program and who have permission from their parents will be tested.
“Our intent is to run it with volunteers and to see what types of problems we might run into, questions we need to ask or refinements that need to be made,” said Sakash. “The second year would be mandatory participation for anyone involved in extra-curriculur activity.”
Sakash noted that it’s not just the athletes who will be tested.
“It’s all the extra-curriculur activities,” said Sakash, “…the honor society, the band, student council…everyone.”
The policy states that if a student refuses to submit a urine sample, he or she will not be permitted to participate in any extra-curriculur activity until he or she does so.
Also, the policy states that any student who tests positive for controlled substances or alcohol, a second test will be administered within the next 24 hours. If the test shows a negative result, the process goes no further.
If a second test also reads positive, a medical physician must confirm the “hot” read. Following, the district will convene a conference with the parent or guardian of the student to make them aware of the situation.
“We want our district to be clean and drug free,” said Sakash. “This is a significant measure for the district to take on the ever-increasing drug problem that’s in our community. We want it to stop now before it gets out of hand later.”
