Cairo to randomly test high school students for drugs

CAIRO, Ill. -- Cairo High School students who participate in sports or other extracurricular activities face random drug testing this coming school year and will be barred from participating in those activities until subsequent tests show they're clean.

The Cairo school board unanimously approved the drug-testing policy late last week, along with a code of conduct for students who participate in extracurricular activities. The code of conduct extends year-round and applies whether or not school is in session.

The code of conduct prohibits drinking alcoholic beverages except for religious purposes, use of tobacco in any form, and possession or dealing of drugs and weapons. The prohibition doesn't apply to such activities as target shooting or hunting.

Students also are prohibited from such acts as stealing, vandalism, acting in an unsportsmanlike manner, hazing other students, and attending a party or riding in a vehicle where alcoholic beverages or controlled substances are being consumed by minors.

Violators face suspension from extracurricular activities for part of a season or an entire season. In cases of repeated, serious violations, students could be banned from participating in extracurricular activities for the remainder of their high school careers, school officials said.

Setting a 'higher standard'

Cairo schools superintendent Gary Whitledge said, "We're going to set a higher standard because we know the kids can achieve it."

That higher standard ultimately may include requiring students to wear school uniforms, he said.

That would eliminate "gangster look-alike" attire, Whitledge said.

The superintendent said uniforms would eliminate the peer pressure on students to conform to such styles and present a good image of students in class.

School officials intend to meet with parents before crafting any school uniform policy, he said.

Whitledge said the new drug-testing policy, long favored by the board, wasn't adopted because of any particular drug problem at the high school.

"There was no particular compelling reason other than to set a standard," he said.

It's part of an effort to improve the image of the small school district in Alexander County, Whitledge said.

The district has been plagued in recent years by a declining tax base, declining enrollment and low test scores. Most of its students are black. Many of the students come from low-income families.

School officials hope that the drug testing and the code of conduct will challenge students to be model citizens. "The kids are all going to be aware that we're going to test for illegal drugs and we are going to test for alcohol," Whitledge said.

More than 20 Illinois school districts conduct random drug testing of students. Eighteen districts in Missouri have or plan to adopt drug-testing programs, according to the Missouri School Boards' Association.

Federal court cases have upheld such testing where it hasn't involved the entire student body. "I don't think there is any precedent out there that would cover the entire student body," Whitledge said.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1995 that it was legal for schools to conduct random drug tests of student athletes. In 2002, the high court ruled that students participating in other extracurricular activities could be drug tested too.

Cairo High School has about 200 students. About half of them are involved in extracurricular activities.

Five testings a year

Under the drug-testing policy, the district plans to conduct random drug tests five times a year.

Each time, the district will screen urine samples of 10 percent of the extracurricular students, or about 10 students, for drugs. One of those students also will be tested with a swab for alcohol.

As many as 50 students may be tested for drugs over the course of the school year, Whitledge said.

It will cost the district $35 to $50 per student per test. The testing includes follow-up tests in cases of students who test positive. Cairo School District expects to spend about $2,500 a year on drug and alcohol testing, Whitledge said.

A Cairo firm, Health Safety and Environmental Consulting Inc., will coordinate the testing.

Urine samples will be screened for marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine, amphetamines and barbiturates, said Edward Doss, president of the Cairo firm. The company could screen for anabolic steroids, but that would mean an added cost to the district, he said.

The Cairo firm does a lot of drug screening for employers, but this will be the first school district to engage its services.

The company contracts with a business in Louisiana that does the actual testing of the samples.

Samples are tested at least twice when students test positive, he said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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