ANAHUAC BOARD OK'S EXPANDED DRUG TESTING

More Anahuac school district students will be tested for drugs when they
return to school after the Christmas break.

The district's school board has voted to expand its old policy to test
half of the school's eligible population every year. Eligible students
include those who participate in extracurricular activities and
those registered for parking permits.

"One of the main reasons is we wanted to give students an excuse to say no
to drugs," said Superintendent Linda Barnhart. "It's not as much about
punishment as it is about prevention."

The policy also calls for 25 percent of the middle school's eligible
population to be tested every year.

The board modified the proposal, which has been under consideration since
November, by giving parents of any student the opportunity to add their
child to the testing pool even if he or she does not meet the eligibility
guidelines for testing.

"We had some parents that wanted their kids in no matter what," said board
President Clint Fancher.

The program was previously limited to student athletes and required
"reasonable suspicion" that the student was using drugs.

Both Barnhart and Fancher said they have received only positive feedback
since the board adopted the new policy.

"It's been very positive," Fancher said. "Everyone seems to understand
we've got a problem and that this is a step in the right direction."

The tests will cost the district $25 each.

The program will begin for the Spring 2006 semester. Barnhart said
starting the program quickly at mid-year will allow the district to work
any kinks out of the system for the start of the 2006-07 school year.

Barbers Hill is the only other area district that uses random drug testing
on all middle and high school students who participate in extra
curricular activities.

Additionally, every Barbers Hill seventh-grader must submit to a
preliminary drug test before participating in an activity along with any
student that begins participating in extra curricular activities for
the first time at any point between seventh grade and high school graduation.