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School system may return to drug testing
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After several years with no random drug testing of Warren County students, the School Board has voted on changes to the school system policy manual that could reinstate random testing for students involved in extracurricular activities and in certain other circumstances.The move will be a part of a broad reassessment of drug testing within the school system involving students, teachers and employees.Any student participating in voluntary extracurricular activities, such as sports and clubs, may be subject to random drug testing.The policy manual changes have passed on first read and will be subjected to a second read vote at the next School Board meeting. Outgoing Director of Schools Dr. Jerry Hale says the testing won’t go into effect until July because money has to be put in the budget to pay for the testing, which could amount to over $100,000. Random drug testing would then go into effect for the 2012-13 school year, if the policy change passes on second read.Hale says Durham School Services currently conducts drug tests on bus drivers, and Hale says teachers can be drug tested under certain circumstances.“Under the collective bargaining agreement, there is a clause in the contract that does allow drug testing based on reasonable suspicion,” Hale said.