“It is absolutely not a done deal,” York said in his introduction, adding that rumors have been circulating on social media.
The idea had been discussed during a recent meeting of the Health Coordinating Council, which includes staff members in health-related areas as well as parents, according to Amy Macechko, the district’s health and wellness coordinator.
Macechko said the council discussed various aspects of such a plan. The council, she said, was split on the idea so no recommendation was made to the board, which asked for more research. Part of that effort was the recent public forum to allow residents to weigh in on the idea.
One speaker at the forum cited studies saying random drug testing has a negative effect on school climate.
“Trust the science,” the woman said. “There is really nothing out there to justify this.”
Another speaker said she was concerned about the message a random drug testing program sends to the students.
“My biggest concern is trust. Students in extracurricular activities are doing positive things. They sign a paper saying they do not use drugs,” she said. “Random drug testing says we do not trust them. That damages the relationship. That, to me, is not positive reinforcement, but negative.”
Several speakers, however, pointed out that drug testing is common in workplaces.
“Drug testing for work continues and is growing,” one man said. “It’s reality.”
High school assistant principal Chris Rhoton said school administrators often deal with student drug use only when it has reached a problem stage. By that time, he said, parents often tell him, “I wish I had known sooner.”
A man in the audience echoed this, saying, “Sometimes you find out when a family member goes to the morgue.”
Macechko previously told the Journal-News that each drug test costs $29 and the district would test about 300 students, which means the district would spend $8,700. She said another consideration is what intervention is available for students who test positive for drug use.
A survey on the topic is available to residents through the district’s Facebook page.
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