Drug Testing to Resume at Central High School

CENTRAL — The Central Community School System will resume the use of hair samples to test for drug usage among students at Central High School.  Students involved in extracurricular activities, such as competitive sports, or who drive to school will be tested.

The school system began using hair samples to test for drugs last year, and several students were tested positive for hard drugs.

However, Supt. Mike Faulk and the Central school board suspended testing of hair samples, in order to refine procedures, rework parental permission slips, and select a vendor to conduct the tests.

Faulk said Tuesday a committee composed of students, teachers, administrators, coaches, and nurses have met to iron out the details.

Faulk said a national firm, Psychemedics Corp., has been selected to conduct the tests.  The school system is negotiating with the company on the terms of the contract, he said.

The drug testing policy will apply to all students in grades 6 to 12 who engage in extracurricular activities, drive to school, or whose parents voluntarily agree to participate.

Extracurricular activities include all teams, performing bands, performing choir, cheerleaders, dance teams, and flag corps.

Students who participate in fall sports and activities will be tested first, while those who participate in other sports such as baseball and softball will be tested later.

The program will be administered by Central schools athletic director Sid Edwards and school nurse Sharon Ball.

Faulk said the hair tests are far more reliable than urine testing.  Hair tests are accurate for as much as 90 days, while urine testing is unreliable after a couple of days, he said.

Anyone who tests positive will be tested thereafter every time drug tests are conducted, Faulk said.

“One of the benefits of this program is that it will give our students another way to say no, when they are offered drugs,” Faulk said.

Students who test positive for drugs in their system will be subject to a series of progressively more serious consequences, including suspension from extracurricular activities or driving, counseling, parental conferences, and retesting.

PHOTO: Central schools Supt. Mike Faulk at Monday night’s school board meeting

Story and photo by Woody Jenkins, Editor, Central City News