The board approved a final drug-testing policy at a special meeting Monday evening. The board also discussed drug-testing rules and regulations at length.
Under the new policy, students may be tested for alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, nicotine, opiates, oxycodone, methamphetamine and steroids.
Superintendent Glenn Gelbrich said the policy will be implemented on Oct. 19.
The district policy contains four intervention methods. The first is an informal contact between a concerned school staff member or coach and parents or guardians. In the second, a school administrator may refer the student to a drug or alcohol counselor or school nurse, and disciplinary measures could be taken.
The other two methods are the mandatory random drug testing for student athletes and voluntary random drug testing. Students who choose to participate in voluntary testing will be chosen in the same random manner as those in the mandatory program.
Random drug testing will be required for football, football cheerleading, hockey, cross-country running, tennis, girls' volleyball, swimming/diving, wrestling, dance/drill team, boys basketball, girls basketball, basketball cheerleading, softball, baseball, track and field, boys soccer and girls soccer.
Fifteen percent of athletes from each school's individual sports program will be tested each week.
Student athletes who test positive will be suspended for the remainder of the current season but can appeal the suspension. They will not be penalized academically for a positive result and results will not be reported to law enforcement.
Voluntary random drug-testing results will be shared only with the student tested and his or her parent or guardian.
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