The Geary USD 475 Board of Education has given second and final reading approval to a random drug testing policy for Junction City High School.
The policy will apply to all students participating in extracurricular activities beginning with the 2014-2015 school year.
This has been in the planning for two years, with discussion at multiple board meetings. Senior High School Principal Melissa Sharp said it’s now time to build the plan. “We’ve held off for so long in regard to handbooks and where to go from here until the Board actually made it policy.” Sharp noted there is a lot of work to do with education to plan, and a lot of meetings that will occur.
Under the policy a student who tests positive will not be suspended or expelled from school. They will be prevented from participating in their scheduled activities for seven days, but could practice. They would have to be tested five times within the following calendar year if they continue in the extracurricular activity, and officials are hopeful of getting the student counseling services.
Multiple JCHS athletic coaches were in the audience as the policy was discussed by the Board. Football coach Randall Zimmerman urged the Board to approve it. He told JCPost.com, “I think kids, if they know they’re going to be tested, they can tell their peers no if they’re under some peer pressure to do something that they’re not comfortable doing or don’t want to do. ”
The Board vote to approve the policy was 6-1, with Tom Brungardt voting no. He is concerned about the impact on civil liberties. “And I think today we took a step to restrict the privacy rights of students.
During discussion Brungardt referred to a scholarly report that indicated drug testing had no effect, and school climate has a bigger impact. He stated drug testing is big business, with companies having their own association, and lobbying group. He added they’re pushing for laws that allow you to drug test any student.
During her comments to the Board Melissa Sharp countered by noting if school officials were not concerned about students’ civil liberties they would have tested everyone, but as they looked at research they didn’t want to put the District through that liability. Reacting to the point that drug testing is big business Sharp stated drugs are a bigger business.
Board member Brian Field supported the move to adopt the policy saying he thought it was good the BOE approved the policy for several reasons. “One is safety. I also think that there is an issue with peer pressure, and it gives the students just one more tool as a deterrent from taking drugs.”