JISD looks into student drug testing
Task force to hold meetings
By JIMMY GALVAN Managing Editor

Random drug testing for Jasper school students may soon be on the horizon.

Jasper Independent School District Superintendent Bill "Butch" Dean has formed a committee that will meet the next three Thursdays before making a recommendation to the school board.

"We don't want to use this is as a punishment program but we want to really give a kid a chance to say 'no,'" Dean said. "We just want to give a kid a chance to say 'no, I'm in the band or football team' and give them a chance to walk away from it."

The drug task force would look into random drug testing on junior high and high school students who participate in UIL events, either academic or athletic plus any student who drives a vehicle to school.

The task force is made up of school employees and local residents and they will listen to guest speakers as well as conduct workshops on the subject.

Dean said the first guest speaker for the task force would be Jasper Police Chief Todd Hunter.

"I want the committee to get a feel of what kind of drug problems are out in our community," Dean said.

Dean said he was surprised when he spoke with Hunter about drug usage in the community.

"I thought it would be marijuana but it is prescription drugs that are abused the most," Dean said. "And that shocked me."

This is different from the recent state-mandated steroid testing for studentathletes. Some area school districts in Region V have already implemented random drug testing for its students including Kirbyville Consolidated Independent School District.

Dean said the early stages of the district's program show a three-phase discipline for the program.

Dean said he has had informal discussions with some parents in the district and their reaction has been positive to the possible implementation of the policy.

He said for students who don't participate in UILsponsored events or don't drive to school, may still be tested if a parent consents to the testing.

Dean said the meetings are not open to the public but the policy will be presented before the JISD board in public session before a final decision is made.