Posted on 06/08/2008 5:42:41 PM PDT by Coleus
River Dell Regional High School was one of three schools statewide to get a grant for its random drug testing program, federal officials said today. The school was awarded $43,100 for the upcoming school year as part of a $5.8 million grant program from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. Schools in Hillsborough and Brick also received grants. “It’s another tool to reinforce positive decisions,” said Stephen Schatz, spokesman for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. “It’s really geared toward treatment.”
River Dell Superintendent Patrick Fletcher said the money will fund better testing that can detect smaller amounts of drugs and alcohol in students’ systems. River Dell is one of at least three high schools in northern New Jersey to start up random drug testing programs last year. Lakeland Regional High School in Passaic County and Fort Lee’s school district also started programs. Several districts with drug testing programs say that only a few children test positive every year.
Out of 77 kids tested in River Dell this year, one tested positive for alcohol and two tested positive for drugs. At Lakeland, two out of more than 200 students tested showed signs of illegal drugs in their urine. Pequannock Superintendent Larrie Reynolds said about four or five kids test positive out of about 400 middle school and high school students tested each year.
Federal officials said the programs can give kids an excuse to say no to drugs and they stressed that results are not shared with law enforcement officials. News that a school is considering mandatory testing usually sparks controversy. Northern Valley Regional High School decided not to adopt a program in December after an advisory panel said the benefits have not been proven and testing could cause an atmosphere of distrust between students and faculty. But parents and administrators in the districts with new programs say much of the fuss has died down.
Melanie Weisberg, a parent of a sophomore at River Dell, said she didn’t like the policy when she first heard about it. But after seeing her son and most of his friends go through the process, she has changed her mind. “At first, I thought it was ridiculous. I thought it was my responsibility as a parent,” Weisberg said. “At this point, I think it’s a good thing… I don’t consider it an invasion of privacy.” Students said initial concerns about the embarrassment and social stigma associated with taking a drug test had subsided as soon as they saw the program in action. Now, they said, the most common complaint is that the program requires parents to sign yet another form — this one giving the school permission to test their child for drugs.
“It’s sort of just an extra paper to get handed in,” said sophomore Ryan Kang, a tennis player and member of the math team. “It’s not really anything special.” Lakeland officials also said an initial flurry of protest has pretty much died down, though parents still call to ask questions. “I had one parent call me, really irate. I had another one send me an email about Big Brother and the book 1984,” said Lakeland Superintendent Al Guazzo. “We try to do things that are supportive of students, and I really do believe this helps kids.”
More than 4,000 schools nationwide have random testing programs, according to the federal ONDCP. And at least 24 schools in New Jersey have adopted programs. Typically, students who participate in extracurricular activities or park in the school lot are entered into a database by their student identification numbers. School officials then use the software to randomly generate a testing group each week.
A counselor assesses students who test positive to see how extensive his or her use is. The student is then barred from participating in activities for a time, enrolled in a treatment or counseling program and monitored for drug use. Second and third offenses get them barred for longer periods of time. Both administrators and students said having counseling attached to the tests is crucial. “Drug testing in and of itself is not going to deter students from using drugs or making a poor choice,” said River Dell Superintendent Patrick Fletcher. “Coupled with an educational program about the dangers of these choices and providing a support system should a child make a poor choice - those three things together will have an impact.”
Joan Becker, parent of a senior and a freshman at Lakeland, said that while she has always been confident that her children are drug-free, she can understand the benefits of testing to parents. “A child is not going to come home and say, ‘Mom, I’m using drugs,’” Becker said. “As a parent, if it was my child, I would want to know, and know what resources are available to help.”
ping
At $14000+ a student, River Dell needs to encourage more students to take drugs
People wonder why Jews lined up for the showers?
One more in a **long** list of reason why government schools resemble prisons.
The government is teaching children how to be good little prisoners of the Marxist totalitarian state to come.
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