| CSC of Eastern Hancock County |
| Bylaws & Policies |
5530.01 - CO-CURRICULAR AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES DRUG TESTING PROGRAM
Mission Statement and Guiding Principles of the Community School Corporation of Eastern Hancock
Our mission is to ensure that each child is provided with the experience necessary to become a life-long, self-directed learner and to think, reason, and participate productively in a diverse society. Therefore we believe:
| A. | All students and staff have the right to learn in a challenging, safe, caring, and nurturing climate where the spirit of cooperation and respect for others is exemplified. | |
| B. | A key purpose of schooling is to instill, in partnership with families, beliefs and attitudes that ensure that children understand, appreciate, and demonstrate the qualities of good citizenship. |
Introduction
The effective date of this program is August 16, 2004. This program does not affect the current policies, practices, or rights of Eastern Hancock Schools with respect to alcohol, tobacco, and other drug possession or use, where reasonable suspicion is obtained by means other than drug testing through this policy. Eastern Hancock Schools reserves the right to test any student who at any time exhibits cause for reasonable suspicion of drug and/or alcohol usage.
Reasonable Concern
The Community School Corporation of Eastern Hancock has a strong commitment to the health, safety and welfare of its students. Results of studies throughout the United States, and an increased substance abuse problem among our students, indicate that education alone, as a preventative measure, has not been effective in combating substance abuse. Statistics show that the mission of the Community School Corporation of Eastern Hancock is not being realized. Our commitment to maintaining the co-curricular and extracurricular activities as a safe and secure educational environment requires a clear policy and supportive programs relating to detection, treatment, and prevention of substance abuse by students involved in co-curricular and extracurricular activities.
Purpose
The primary purpose of this program is not intended to be disciplinary or punitive in nature but to educate our students. No student will be expelled or suspended from school nor will any student’s grades be adversely affected by any positive random drug test under the random drug testing policy or refusal to participate in the random drug-testing program. No results obtained through a random drug test will be shared with any law enforcement agency. Participation in extracurricular activities is a privilege for our students. Students involved in co-curricular and extracurricular programs need to be exemplary in the eyes of other students and the community. It is the purpose of this program to educate, help, and direct students away from alcohol, tobacco, and other drug abuse and toward a healthy, safe, and drug free life. The school has a responsibility to ensure a safe environment for all its students and staff. Use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs is a health and safety risk not only for the user but also for all those who come in contact with him or her. It is
MANDATORY that each student who participates in the co-curricular and extracurricular programs or who drives a motor vehicle to, from, or at Eastern Hancock Middle and High Schools sign and return the "CONSENT FORM" prior to participation in any activity covered by this policy. Failure to comply will result in non-participation until the "CONSENT FORM" is signed and returned.Scope
Participation in extracurricular activities is a privilege. This policy applies to all Eastern Hancock students in grade 6-12 who wish to participate in co-curricular or extracurricular activities that are listed in the current student handbook and any other school sponsored co-curricular or extracurricular activities not listed. It also includes any student who wishes to drive to school, from school or during school. Students whose only involvement in extracurricular activities is as a student driver will not be tested for nicotine (tobacco use).
Legal Obligation
Indiana Code 20-8.1-7 sets forth health measures to be governed by school officials. Most specifically, I.C. 20-8.7-2 establishes the responsibility of schools to assist children found to be ill or in need of treatment.
Drug Education
All co-curricular and extracurricular participants and student drivers will be required to attend one (1)or more drug education sessions provided by the School Corporation. Each prospective participant shall receive a copy of this policy. The policy will be explained to them at that time. An educational presentation will also be made to educate the student about the harmful-effects and consequences of alcohol and other drug abuse. Students will receive information as to where they can seek professional help, if needed, for a use or abuse problem.
Consent Form
It is
MANDATORY that each student who participants in co-curricular or extracurricular activities or sign and return the "consent form" prior to participation in any co-curricular or extracurricular activity. Failure to comply will result in non-participation until the "consent form" is signed and returned.Each extracurricular participant shall be provided with a "consent form," a copy of which is attached hereto, which shall be dated and signed by the participant and by the parent/guardian. In so doing, the student is agreeing to participate in the random drug-testing program at Eastern Hancock Middle School and Eastern Hancock High School.
If at some time during the school year, the student wishes to be removed from the random drug-testing program and thereby end his/her participation in co-curricular and/or extracurricular activities for the school year or wishes to enter the random testing pool, s/he must indicate that intention on the "change of status form" which is also attached to this policy. Students will be allowed only one such change of status during the school year.
Testing Procedure
| A. | The selection of participants to be tested will be done randomly by the principal/administrative designee, and selections will be made from time to time throughout the school year. Student identification numbers specific to this program will be assigned to each participant. Identification numbers for each random testing will be drawn from one large pool of those agreeing to be tested. There will be only one (1) copy of the listing of students consenting to be tested and their identification numbers. This copy will be maintained by the building principal. Testing may occur any day, Monday through Saturday. This variable schedule will keep students conscious of the possibility of being tested at any time during the year. Each student will be assigned to a number that will be placed in the drawing. |
| B. | No student will be given advance notice or early warning of the testing. In addition, a strict chain of custody will be enforced to eliminate invalid tests or outside influences. | |
| C. | Upon being selected for a urinalysis test under this policy by random draw or a follow-up test, a student will be required to provide a sample of "fresh" urine according to the quality control standards and policy of the laboratory conducting the urinalysis. | |
| D. | All students will remain under school supervision until they have produced an adequate urine specimen. If unable to produce a specimen, the student will be given up to twenty-four (24) ounces of fluid. If still unable to produce a specimen within two (2) hours, the student will be taken to the principal’s office and told s/he is no longer eligible for any of the extracurricular activities. In addition, the parents/guardian will be telephoned and informed the student is unable to produce a sample for the testing procedure and that s/he may be tested at a later date to be reinstated for eligibility. | |
| E. | All specimens registering below 90.5 degrees or above 98.8 degrees Fahrenheit will be invalid. There is a heat strip on each of the specimen bottles indicating the validity of the urine specimen by temperature. If this occurs, the student must give another specimen. | |
| F. | If it is proven that tampering or cheating has occurred during the collection, the student will become ineligible for all the "extracurricular activities" for the remainder of the school year. This will be reported to the parent/guardian. | |
| G. | Immediately after the specimen is taken, the student may return to class with an admit slip or pass with the time s/he left the collection site. The principal/administrative designee must time and sign the pass. Submitting to random drug testing will be considered an excused absence from class and there shall be no penalty to grades. | |
| H. | The specimens will then be turned over to the testing laboratory, and each specimen will be tested for alcohol, nicotine, and "street drugs" (which may include all drugs listed as controlled substances under the laws of the State of Indiana). Also "performance enhancing" drugs such as steroids may be tested. | |
| I. | The school will select one (1) or more laboratories to conduct the testing. The laboratory selected must follow the standards set by the Department of Health and Human Services. It must be certified under the auspices of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act (CLIA) and the Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). |
Chain of Custody
| A. | The certified laboratory will provide training and direction to those who supervise the testing program, set-up the collection environment, and guarantee specimens and supervise the chain-of-custody. To maintain anonymity, the student’s number, not name will be used. | |
| B. | The principal/administrative designee will be responsible for escorting students to the collection site. The student should bring all materials with him/her to the collection site and should not be allowed to go to his/her locker. The administrator should not bring all the students drawn from the pool to the collection simultaneously. Calling four (4) or five (5) students at a time allows the collections to be carried out quickly and will not cause students to wait a long time, thereby creating a loss of important time from class (participants may be called after school during activity time). | |
| C. | Before the student’s urine sample is tested by the laboratory, the student shall fill out, sign and date any form, which may be required by the testing laboratory. If a student chooses, s/he may notify the administrator that s/he is taking a prescription medication. | |
| D. | A sanitized kit containing a specimen bottle will be given to each student. The bottle will remain in the student’s possession until a seal is placed upon the bottle. The student will sign that the specimen has been sealed. Only the lab testing the specimen may break the seal. |
| E. | If the seal is tampered with or broken, after leaving the student’s possession and prior to arriving at the lab, the specimen is invalid. The student will be called again as soon as possible. The student will remain eligible for extracurricular activities subsequent to a retest. | |
| F. | Students will be instructed to remove all coats, empty their pockets, and wash their hands in the presence of the supervisor prior to entering the restroom. The door will be closed so that the student is by himself/herself in the restroom to provide a urine specimen. The supervisor will wait outside the restroom. The student will have two (2) minutes to produce a urine specimen. The commode will contain a blue dye so the water cannot be used to dilute the sample. The faucets in the restrooms will be shut off. | |
| G. | After it has been sealed, the specimen will be transported to the testing laboratory by lab personnel. The testing laboratory will report the results back to the principal/administrative designee. | |
| H. | In order to maintain confidentiality, the container, which contains the urine specimen to be tested, will not have the name of the student on the container. Instead, the student'’ random identification number will appear on the container. Also the results sheet for the urinalysis will be mailed back to the principal administrative designee with no name attached; only the student’s random identification number will appear on the results sheet. |
Test Results
| A. | This program seeks to provide needed help for students who have a verified "positive" test. The student’s health, welfare, and safety will be the reason for preventing students form participation in co-curricular or extracurricular activities or from driving to, from, and at school. | |
| B. | The principal/administrative designee will be notified of a student testing "positive" (that is if the test shows that drug residues are in the student’s system after using at least two (2) different types of analysis). The principal/administrative designee will notify the student and his/her parent/guardian. The student or his/her parent/guardian may submit any documented prescription, explanation, or information, which will be considered in determining whether a "positive" test has been satisfactorily explained. | |
| In addition, the student or parent/guardian may appeal by requesting that the urine specimen be tested again by the certified laboratory at a cost to the student or his/her parent/guardian. | ||
| C. | If the initial test is verified "positive", the principal/administrative designee will meet with the student and his/her parent/guardian at a school corporation facility. The student and parent/guardian will be given the names of counseling and assistance agencies that the family may contact for help. The student will be prevented from participating in co-curricular and extracurricular activities until after a "follow-up" test is requested by the principal/administrative designee and negative results are reported. This non-participation includes practices, meetings, trips, and any other activities of that group. A "follow-up" test will be requested by the principal/administrative designee after such an interval of time that the substance previously found would normally have been eliminated from the body. If this "follow-up" test is negative, the student will be allowed to resume "limited participation" in co-curricular and extracurricular activities. "Limited participation" allows a student to participate in practices and/or attend meetings. A student under limited participation may not participate in contests or activities as a representative of school. If a second "positive" result is obtained from the "follow-up" test, or any later test of that participant, the same previous procedure shall be followed. Student driving privileges will not be suspended for positive nicotine tests. Students whose only activity is as a student driver will not be tested for nicotine. | |
| D. | Students who have tested positive without satisfactory explanation and who have provided a negative follow-up test will be granted "limited participation" in co-curricular and extracurricular activities for twenty-five percent (25%) of the season or calendar of each activity in which the student is involved. For clubs and organizations that meet the entire school year, the period for "limited participation" shall be for the next nine (9) school weeks. For activities such as athletics that have defined seasons, the twenty-five percent (25%) period will be defined as twenty-five percent (25%) of the scheduled contests for that activity. If a student is placed on limited participation with less than twenty-five percent (25%) of the calendar or season remaining, the remainder of the twenty-five percent (25%) will be served at the beginning of the next season or calendar in which the student has previously participated. On a student’s second positive test without satisfactory explanation, the period of limited participation shall be one full year. This period of limited participation can be decreased to fifty percent (50%) of a season or calendar by the building principal if the student produces documentation of satisfactory assessment/counseling by a school approved agency. On a third unsatisfactory positive result the student will lose eligibility to participate the remainder their middle or high school career depending on the student’s grade level. A student who has tested positive three (3) times in grades 6-8 would lose eligibility in middle school but would regain eligibility upon entering high school. Offenses under this policy will not accumulate from middle school to high school. In addition, the Community School Corporation of Eastern Hancock reserves the right to continue testing any participating student who at any time during the school year tested "positive" and did not make satisfactory explanation. | |
| E. | Information on a verified "positive" test result will be shared on a "need to know" basis with the student’s coach or sponsor. The results of the "negative" tests will be kept confidential to protect the identity of all students being tested. | |
| F. | Drug testing result sheets will be returned to the principal/administrative designee identifying students by number and not by name. Names of students tested will not be kept in open files or on any computer. Result sheets will be locked and secured in a location to which only the principal/administrative designee has access. |
Financial Responsibility
| A. | Under this policy, the Community School Corporation of Eastern Hancock County will pay for all initial random drug tests and all initial "follow-up" drug tests. | |
| B. | An appeal (request to have a specimen retested) of a "positive" test is the financial responsibility of the student or his/her parent/guardian. | |
| C. | Counseling and subsequent treatment by non-school agencies is the financial responsibility of the student or his/her parent/guardian. |
Confidentiality
Under this drug testing program, any school staff, coach or sponsor who may have knowledge of the results of a drug test will not divulge to anyone the results of the test or the disposition of the student involved, other than in the case of a court order being made upon that person in the course of a legal investigation. Once again, this will underscore the Community School Corporation of Eastern Hancock’s commitment to confidentiality with regards to the program.
Other Rules
Apart from this drug-testing program, Eastern Hancock’s Athletic Department as well as all other co-curricular and extracurricular activities and the coaching staff/sponsor of each sport/activity have their own training rules, code of conduct, and requirements.
Coaches/sponsors have the necessary authority to enforce those rules. Any student who violates a rule or requirement as a member of a team or activity will be subject to the consequences as defined in those rules, codes, and requirements.
Adopted 5/10/04