LEBANON CONSIDERS SCHOOL DRUG TESTING

LEBANON - School board members said Monday they want more information on costs before they decide whether the Lebanon Community School District should begin student drug testing.

The discussion took place during second reading of two policies, one that would require drug tests for all students before allowing them to join a sports team, and another that would require a test before participating in any district-sponsored club or organization.

Board members said they leaned instead toward random testing, and asked district officials to look into how much such tests cost.

Assistant Superintendent Steve Williams said after the meeting the district will likely look at a range of costs, including whether the tests are for one drug or many.  Reports are expected at the board's Aug.  16 meeting.

Superintendent Jim Robinson said more than half the student population at Lebanon High School, which is about 1,300, is involved in at least one extracurricular activity.

Margaret Peterson of the Oregon School Board Association said OSBA sent out the sample drug policies after a 2002 Supreme Court decision expanded school testing rights to include extracurricular activities.  As far as she knows, she said, very few districts in the state have adopted them.

"The question is, is this an effective tool for dealing with a serious problem?" asked Tom McHill, Lebanon's board chairman.  "Are we proposing to take this step based on the information we have now, and make that kind of commitment?"

Board member William Barish, a family physician, said he was concerned a pre-sports test wouldn't be an effective deterrent.

"To me, that's an idiot test.  If you are dumb enough to take drugs right before a drug test ...  " he said, trailing off and shaking his head.

Sherrie Sprenger said she agrees with the idea of drug tests and would support not only pre-tests but random followups.  However, she said, that might be more than the district can afford, so she proposed pulling the policies until cost research is done.