School board adopts drug testing policy

HUNTINGTON -- The Cabell County School Board adopted the student drug testing policy that's been in the works for more than a year. Now its authors must negotiate a deal with one of a handful of companies that bid for the testing contract.

Assistant Superintendent Judy Forbush said estimates are in the $15,000 to $20,000 range, depending on which company they choose. In the first year, which includes driving, activity and opt-in high school students only, about 650 students will be tested out of an estimated 1,300. Parents or guardians of opt-in students will be required to pay a fee, which hasn't been determined yet.

Board president Ted Barr, who first introduced a student drug testing policy more than a year ago, said he was happy to finally see it approved by the board.

"I'm happy about it, I really am," Barr said. "I think we're not going to have the amount of kids at expulsions that we do now."

Barr also fought to have middle school students included, but he compromised, and middle schools are written in the policy to start during the 2009-10 school year.

Now that the policy has been adopted, Superintendent William Smith said coaches and certain teachers will go through educational sessions, and Cabell County Schools will work vigorously to communicate the policy to the public.

"There's a lot of communication that has to has happen," Smith said. "It's critical."

The policy states that each activity, driving and opt-in student will be educated through an orientation about the details of testing, the random pool and maintaining privacy. This will happen, for most students, at the beginning of the school year, but students won't have to sign the forms at that time.

Football players, who regularly start training during the summer months, will have to sign the policy before they can start practice. Some athletes whose sports don't begin until the spring won't be required to enter the testing pool until practice for their sport begins.

Students who drive to school and apply for parking passes will likely have to agree to its terms within the first week of the 2008-09 school year to receive their pass.

The tests, which will be urine tests, will check for an array of illegal drugs, and some students within the pool may be randomly checked for performance-enhancing drugs as well.

Any positive sample will be subject to confirmation by a second and different test of the same specimen. A first offense will result in the parents or guardians being immediately contacted and a private conference being scheduled. In order for the student to continue participating in the activity or driving to school, he or she must, within five days, show proof that the student has received drug counseling. The student also must submit to a second test within two weeks.

A second offense earns a suspension from the activity for 14 days, and the student will be randomly tested on a monthly basis for the remainder of the year. Third offenses garner suspensions for one calendar year.

The procedure for driving students is similar, but a second-offense means a 90-day suspension of parking privileges. Opt-in students who test positive will be required to meet with administration and their parents and guardians.

"The board's intent is not to hurt the kids," Smith said. "It's a reason to say no."