Drug-testing ruling may take time to impact local students
The U.S. Supreme Court has made it possible for schools to conduct drug testing on students involved in extracurricular activities other than sports. However, it may take a while for the ruling to have any local effect.
Belle Vernon Area School District has a policy of random drug testing of student athletes, but other local districts have yet to address the issue formally.
“We have previously randomly tested our athletes. It’s been very successful, and I feel it’s been a deterrent to drug usage in our schools,” said Superintendent Dr. Charles Chandler Jr.
Chandler said the decision to extend the policy to other activities would be up to the school board.
“The Supreme Court has opened the door wider. It will be up to the board to determine if we should be testing more than we’re testing now, but given the circumstances of society, anything we can do to keep students off drugs is good.”
Chandler said he was pleased with the court ruling.
“I commend the Supreme Court for giving us an additional tool to help our children,” he said.
The policy at Belle Vernon is a few years old, but Chandler has no statistics for how many students are tested each year. Belle Vernon assigns numbers to athletes, and a computer program randomly selects those to be tested. The athletes are called and tested on campus by school nurses throughout the school year.
The Supreme Court ruled that schools’ interest in being rid of drugs outweighs student privacy, giving school officials the opportunity to test students involved in school activities beyond sports. The ruling, which stopped short of allowing random drug tests of any students, came in response to a challenge by a former Oklahoma high school student involved with the academic quiz team and choir who sued over what she called a humiliating and accusatory policy of drug testing at her school.
Local school districts polled – including Albert Gallatin Area, Carmichaels Area, Central Greene, Connellsville Area, Laurel Highlands and Uniontown Area – have no policies to test student athletes for drugs, let alone any other students.
“This would have to be something we would need to discuss with the school board,” said A.G. Substitute Superintendent Walter Vicinelly.
Carmichaels Superintendent James Zalar said his school district, like others, has a policy regarding students’ possession of drugs and the consequences, but it does not include testing students for drugs.
“In 11 years we haven’t even considered it,” said Central Greene Superintendent Donald Painter, referring to his tenure as top administrator.
Laurel Highlands’ solicitor, Gary Frankhouser, said school officials have talked about drug testing for student athletes, and the new Supreme Court ruling may have an effect on what the school board may ultimately adopt as policy.
“In the past we’ve had concerns about a policy and I would need to analyze the ruling,” Frankhouser said.
He said the school board could consider adding other extracurricular activities if the directors formalize a policy on drug testing athletes.
Uniontown’s superintendent, Chuck Machesky, recently took over the office on the retirement of Dr. Darrell Uphold. He said any such policy would have to be discussed.
“I’m going to have to see what direction the board wants to take and ask (solicitor Michael Brungo) for advice,” Machesky said.