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Schools

Random Drug Testing Discussion Continues

District 95's board of education will hold a community forum in early October specifically to discuss and answer questions regarding random drug testing at Lake Zurich High School.

The Board ironed out details over preliminary procedures for mandatory random drug testing at Lake Zurich High School during a committee-of-the-whole meeting Aug. 11.

The revised document came back to the board, which first looked at it during a special meeting July 8.

“This is for the board to go back over the procedures talked about in July,” said board President Kathy Brown. “There is no decision being made by the board.”

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The board requested in June that District 95 administrators draft a policy and procedures for random drug testing. Brown said that information would give the board a better idea of what the random drug-testing program would look like.

Drafts are in place for urine testing, hair testing and a code of conduct. Students who are involved in athletics and extracurricular activities, along with students who park on school grounds, would be subject to the random drug testing.

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The key people involved in drafting the procedures are Superintendent Michael J. Egan, Lake Zurich High School Principal Kim Kolze, athletic director Rolando Vazquez and Student Assistance Program coordinator Barbara Belke.

Board member Jim Burke asked how students could get around the system if they test positive.

“If I’m a football player, can I join the Spanish club to work off my suspension?” Burke asked.

Kolze said the suspension "should be one athletic season to another.”

According to the draft, if students test positive and it is a first offense, they are "suspended from participating in all meetings, practices, competition or performances for 50 percent of the total season/academic year or performances. If less than 50 percent of the total season/academic year remains, the student will serve his/her consequence during his/her next season/academic year."

Burke asked that the policy be more specific.

It was decided that students still could attend and participate in practices for athletics and attend rehearsals or meetings for extracurriculars and clubs, but they could not attend games, performances, activities, or meets. 

Board member Mike Finn asked who would run the computer program that would pick the students randomly, and who would see the results.

“In order to avoid controversy, we should have in writing who sees it and runs it,” said Finn.

Burke posed a hypothetical situation about a student who voluntarily admits to having used drugs and then a week later is chosen randomly to be tested.

“The SAP coordinator would know that there’s a grace period to get it out of their system,” said Vazquez.

During open forum, parent Kim Roach addressed the board about suspending students from extracurricular activities and sports.

“By suspending them, we’re taking them away from their identity and model behavior we want to see," said Roach.

She also talked about the role of the SAP coordinator, recommending that the district “use (the Student Assistance Program coordinator) across the board and not get so caught up in drug testing."

The board said it will hold a community forum in early October for residents to ask questions or express their opinions about the random drug testing proposal.

The board also will send out another survey shortly after the community forum and have another discussion at the committee-of-the-whole meeting in November, leading to final a decision.

“It would be good to hear community input, because it might make help us look at something differently,” said board member Tony Pietro.

District 95 will post the date, time and location of the forum on the district website, giving at least a month’s notice, and it also will notify parents through the superintendent and principal newsletters.

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