The Seaman USD 345 School Board unanimously approves randomized drug testing for students in KSHSAA activities, such as athletics, band, scholars bowl, and debate, as well as all of the students who have parking passes.
Testing will begin in the 2015-2016 school year.
"Our committee has been working on this since September and reviewed a lot of possibilities and this is what they came up with. I hope it's just another way for them to say no," said USD 345 superintendent Mike Mathes.
Recent concerns over student drug use has forced the Seaman School District to go to random drug testing.
The district's Communications Director Jeff Zehnder says the district's students take an anonymous survey every year about drug us and the last few years the level of drug activity revealed has been a concern.
The district will begin testing middle school and high school students during the 2015-2016 school year. It would include any student from grades 7-12 who participate in extra-curricular activities, school organizations, or are issued a parking permit.
A first positive test would suspend that student from any KSHSAA activity for 21 days and five follow-up tests. A second positive test is a 90-day suspension from KSHSAA activities. The third positive results in a full 365-day suspension from KSHSAA activities.
School board member Mark Boyd said, "We have athletes that feel certain teammates were compromised. You know, just kids being kids and this will give them a way out of that."
Tests procedures will be done similar to what Hayden High School implemented in 2012 where a student has a sample of hair tested and sent to a lab for analysis and look back at test subject's last 90 days.
"If you are a student who was hoping to get high at some end of the year party, I suggest you re-think some of your decisions," said Zehnder.
Any student who opts-out of the testing cannot participate in KSHSAA activities.
Test results are only available to the student, the parents/guardians and school officials.
No comments:
Post a Comment