The Hopewell Valley Regional School District Board of Education has adopted a policy that calls for random drug testing of high school students, but some parents have not given up on their opposition to it.
Neal McGrath and Marti Davis expressed concern about the new policy at the board’s June 18 meeting. The policy, which was adopted by the board on May 21, had been under discussion for several months.
According to the policy, Hopewell Valley Central High School students will be assigned a number which will be shared with an outside laboratory. It is expected that six students will be chosen at random to be tested each week. The school’s enrollment is 1,200 students.
About 93 to 94 percent of students at the high school take part in sports or other extra- or co-curricular activities, which is the requirement for being subject to random drug testing. Students who hold an on-campus parking permit also are included in the testing pool.
A student can opt out of the testing pool by filling out an activity drop form which indicates he or she will not be taking part in sports or other after-school activities, and will give up the parking permit.
McGrath termed the new policy “an outrageous proposal” and claimed it violates the U.S. Constitution’s Fourth Amendment against unreasonable search and seizure.
“Maybe you can (require random drug testing), but that doesn’t mean you should,” he told the board. “Your job is to educate (the students), not to police or parent them. It’s a violation of civil liberties.”
McGrath said when he asked his daughter about the policy and being pulled out of class to be tested, she said it would be humiliating. He said he instructed his daughter to tell school officials they need to call him.
Davis said she had the same concerns as McGrath. The policy was not well thought out, she said, adding it is “disgraceful.” The school district should be known for education, not random drug testing, she said.
Davis said families should test for drugs. A drug testing kit can be purchased at a pharmacy. She said she would not want her child to be removed from class to be tested for drugs.
“I think it sends the message to them that we all potentially think they are taking drugs,” Davis said.
Superintendent of Schools Thomas Smith said the decision to implement the policy was not made lightly. He said school district administrators held two town hall discussions that were also streamed on Facebook, so there was an opportunity to get public reaction.
“I am not sugar-coating it,” Smith said, explaining that the district has a substance abuse problem.
Two dozen students were caught with illegal drugs during the 2016-17 school year, and 23 of those students were involved in sports or other after-school activities.
Students have free time and they are minutes away from the “epicenter” of the drug trade, Smith said, in a reference to Trenton.
Smith said the random drug testing policy would act as a deterrent. He said it also provides students with a reasonable excuse when they are asked by others if they would like to take drugs.
“We do this out of caring for the students, not out of punishment,” the superintendent said.
