A proposed random drug testing policy for Junction City High School for the 2014-2015 school year goes before the Geary USD 475 Board of Education on second and final reading Tuesday.

The Board meets at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Ware Elementary School on Fort Riley.

Associate Superintendent Dr. Beth Hudson said Friday that JCHS Principal Melissa Sharp and her staff have done a good job of trying to anticipate the questions. “I think they’ve done their homework. They’ve done their research. I think they’re ready to share that policy.”

Hudson stated, “They’re really focusing on having it be all students still that are involved in high school activities association activities, and students in general at the high school. They look at it as a good thing for kids. It’s a deterrent for some kids to be able to say no. We look at it as a positive thing for kids. We want to move in the direction of helping kids, and that’s what the policy is designed to do.”

When the policy was outlined in March before the Board of Education Sharp noted it a student tests positive police are notified, but the school tries to create interventions to help the student deal with the problem. They would be suspended from their extracurricular events for seven days, but could practice. They would have to undergo five more tests in the next calendar year if they continue in the extracurricular activity, and officials were hopeful of getting the student counseling services. The student would not be suspended from school or kicked out of school.

The JCHS principal stressed the majority of students at the senior high school do not have a problem.