Students to be given drug tests

Posted on Wed, Dec. 12, 2007
A policy that would provide for random drug and alcohol tests on students who participate in sports and other extracurricular activities was approved by Lexington 3 officials Tuesday night.

The measure could cost about $8,000 and affect nearly 1,000 students. The district will begin testing students in grades seven through 12 beginning this fall.

The policy will target alcohol and drug use, including marijuana, opiates, cocaine and PCP. Superintendent Bill Gummerson said the district will not test for steroid use because that is too expensive.

The district will test 25 percent of students involved in extracurricular activities, and students will sign a testing-consent form before being allowed to participate.

Students who fail a test will receive a two-week suspension from the activity and be assigned to counseling sessions. A second violation would trigger a one-year suspension, and a third violation would end a student’s participation in all extracurricular activities.

The district will hire an independent testing organization to do the screening. Each student will be assigned an identification number that would be selected randomly by computer.

— Devon Copeland