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Wednesday, January 15, 2003

By Maria Carpico, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

Shaler Area school board is scheduled to hold a second reading tonight on a random drug-testing policy for student athletes, drivers and participants in seasonal extracurricular activities, such as cheerleading and band.

The board held a first reading on the proposed policy in December. The board may vote on the proposal tonight, but no decision has been made on when a vote will take place.

Under the proposed policy, parents and students would have to read and sign the Athletic Code of Conduct and Expectations form authorizing the student's drug screening. If a parent refuses to sign, the student would be ineligible to participate in the activity or to drive to school.

The district would pay the cost of a random test, according to the proposed policy.

Under the proposal, students whose test results are determined to be positive would be suspended from their activities. First-time offenders would get a seven-day suspension; second-time offenders would be suspended for 21 days, which could be reduced to 14 if they complete an alcohol and drug assessment and follow the recommendations. A third violation would result in a year's suspension.

Matt Franz, director of operations for Sport Safe Testing Services of Ohio, outlined his company's plan for testing to the school board at last Wednesday's committee meeting. A test vendor has yet to be chosen.

Franz fielded questions about the process, what would happen if a parent disputed a positive result, and the costs associated with testing for drugs not included in the standard battery of tests.

The student's information would be entered by Sport Safe into a database from which the company would make random selections. On the day of the test, students would be called from class and accompanied to the testing site. The student would submit a urine sample to a collector, who would divide it into two containers and seal them.

The samples would be sent to Quest Diagnostics, a federally approved lab. One sample would be stored and the other tested.

If a student tested positive, a doctor would contact the parents to eliminate the possibility of a prescription drugs triggering the positive result. If prescription drugs were determined to be a factor, the test could be ruled negative.

If a parent wanted to contest a positive test result, the second sample would be sent to another certified lab at a cost of $150 to the parent.

"We're measuring in lives of students, not positives and negatives," Franz said.

The $26 base test can detect alcohol, barbiturates, amphetamines, marijuana, cocaine, methadone, opiates, PCP and benzodiazepines found in Valium.

Franz suggested the district call in students for weekend screenings as a deterrent. Such tests would make it possible to test for those substances not found come Monday morning, such as alcohol and Ecstasy, he said.

For an additional fee, Sport Safe can test for specific drugs such as anabolic steriods, $85; LSD, $22; nicotine, $9; and Ecstasy, $3.

Seneca Valley School District contracts with Sport Safe for its drug-testing program, which began in the fall. That district tests athletes and drivers seeking parking permits.

Sport Safe specializes in testing students rather than employees, Franz said.

Lynn Fezza, board vice president, was on the Shaler Area committee that reviewed Seneca Valley's drug-testing policy. "Hands down, [Sports Safe] was the best prepared," she said.

Shaler Area may make some changes to its proposed policy. Board President Catherine Davidson suggested the district consider testing all athletes, drivers and students participating in the seasonal extracurricular activities at the beginning of the year. That practice, which is what Seneca Valley does, had been discussed but is not included in the proposed Shaler Area policy.

"It's the best deterrent because you get the result you set out to do," Davidson said. If the district decides to test all of the eligible students, the question of who would pay for the tests would have to be decided.

In Seneca Valley, parents pay the $26 fee, while the district pays for the random testing.