Should Beaufort Co. students be drug tested? Does testing help? Tell us what you think
Nearly 300 Beaufort County high school students will be randomly drug tested each month as part of the district’s revamped efforts to deter drug use in schools.
Those eligible to be selected for testing include any high school student playing sports or participating in other voluntary extracurricular activities, such as robotics and debate clubs, and those with parking permits. Other students will not be tested.
The program is similar to testing the district implemented from 2015 until 2020 when it was paused due to COVID. It was polarizing among the community then. Now, we want to hear what you think. At least one school board member, who is also a parent, is outspoken against the policy.
In a 2015 Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette survey of about 620 people, 55 percent said they opposed the district’s plan. About 41 percent were in favor. Here’s what you need to know and questions that go along:
What guardians need to know:
The test looks for a variety of drugs, including marijuana, and amphetamines. A full list of drugs tested for can be found here. This year, schools have the right to also ask for students to be checked for Fentanyl, an opioid drug often prescribed for pain relief that can be highly addictive.
Students who test positive will not be suspended or reported to the police. They will face progressive discipline that will affect their eligibility for extracurricular activities and campus parking. The discipline can be offset by drug counseling that guardians would have to pay for. However, most places the district refers people to are at no cost, according to district spokesperson Candace Bruder.
It doesn’t matter if a student travels somewhere a drug is legal and is over 18, drug use is still prohibited if they want to participate in extracurricular activities. If a student has a valid medical reason and tests positive for a drug, and if their guardian can provide a valid reason when given the chance to explain - the student won’t face disciplinary measures.
If a student is selected for drug testing, a note will be provided the same day for a student to take home and emailed to their guardian. If a student tests positive, school administrators will typically notify guardians by phone to set up an in-person meeting to discuss the results and future steps.
Students can receive multiple tests and don’t come off the list once randomly selected. If a student is randomly selected and absent, they will be tested the next month. The vendor, Beaufort Memorial Hospital, randomly selects students from a list the school provides.
Guardians can opt students out of the testing program, but that means the students will not be able to participate in extracurricular activities or get a parking permit.
A Freedom of Information Act request for the number of tests and positive results since 2015, including this school year, is in progress.
The tests will cost the district at least $130,000 for the school year. The program has been polarizing among parents, and at least one current School Board member says she believes the program is ineffective and a violation of privacy. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of school drug testing programs for extracurricular activities in 2002, saying that schools’ ability to rid their campuses of illegal drugs outweighs an individual’s right to privacy.
“If it worked, I’d be much more in favor,” school board member Ingrid Boatright said. She cited articles with studies concluding school drug testing programs had little effectiveness. They included:
- A 2014 study that concluded drug testing “was not associated with changes in substance use,” and that a “positive school climate” matters more when it comes to preventing drug use
- A 2013 study that concluded there are some short-term deterrent effects when comparing drug use rates between schools with and without testing programs, but no effects among non-tested students, and no long-term effects on drug use
“There’s a risk that it will discourage people who maybe are at (...) a fork in the road, and they might benefit from (...) extra time involved in a school program or physical fitness and coaches all that,” she said. “(Drug testing) might discourage them from choosing that path.”
However, district representatives believe the testing will help deter students from using drugs and say that it is aimed at helping students and not meant to be punitive.
“Drug abuse and substance abuse can be detrimental to students physically and emotionally and academic performance and because of that belief, and concern, and well-being of those students, that is why this policy was put in place,” Director of District Athletics Carlos Cave said.
If you are reading this story on a mobile device and don’t see the surveys, or if you’re reading in the print edition, please go to islandpacket.com to answer them.
This story was originally published October 24, 2023 at 1:23 PM.
