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Few students snagged by drug testing
Bob Wheaton | The Flint Journal | Saturday, February 11

Local high schools aren't catching very many students when they give random drug tests.

That's good news, say officials from Grand Blanc and Lake Fenton high schools - two of the three local schools that give drug tests to student-athletes.

That comes as officials in Atherton discuss whether to approve a drug-testing policy. No decision has been made.

Grand Blanc has had about six positive tests in the seven years of its first-in-the-state program, said Assistant Superintendent Michael Newton, and Lake Fenton - which tests students in competitive extra-curricular activities such as the quiz bowl team and the power-lifting club in addition to those in sports - has had three failed tests in two years, Principal Julie Williams said.

Officials in Clio, the other school that tests students, refused to say how many students have flunked drug tests.

"Feedback from the kids has been positive," Williams said. "They think some kids have refrained from drugs because of the testing."

The exact numbers of students tested were unavailable, but Newton said Grand Blanc has given about 2,000 drug tests and Williams said Lake Fenton has administered about 250 tests.

Failed tests in Grand Blanc are usually for marijuana, Newton said.

"I think every time it's been marijuana," he said. "We're disappointed with only one (positive test), but, definitely, those low numbers are encouraging."

Williams wouldn't identify the drugs that resulted in Lake Fenton's positive tests, saying it could breach confidentiality.

The three local schools might be the only public schools in the state to require some students to take drug tests. Grand Blanc was the first and Lake Fenton and Clio followed suit after rulings favorable to testing in Genesee County Circuit Court and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Some other schools administer voluntary tests, said John Conaty, director of the drug and alcohol program for Joseph Young & Associates, the Mason company that conducts drug tests for all three local districts.

But Conaty said he's unaware of any mandatory school drug-testing programs in Michigan outside Genesee County.

Owen Agho, a senior at Grand Blanc High School, said the drug-testing program deters student-athletes from using drugs.

"Kids who are athletes, they know to be ready for the test," he said. "And those that got caught were stupid."

Agho said he doesn't like the policy, which he called an invasion of privacy.

Justin Makokha, a freshman at Grand Blanc High School, supports the policy. He said athletes are role models to other students.

"I think it's good (to test them), because you shouldn't be doing drugs in the first place and it'll show that if you want to be an athlete then you have to be drug-free," he said.

Newton, formerly Grand Blanc High School principal, said he has heard some people say that students can find a way to beat the drug test, but the company that conducts the tests has assured officials a student would have to be "pretty sophisticated" to do that.

In Clio, which also tests students in competitive extra-curricular activities in addition to athletes, high school Principal Keith Smith said about 30 students a month have been tested since the policy began 11/2 years ago.

He wouldn't reveal how many students tested positive because of fears about how people would interpret the numbers. If people thought the number was too low, he said, they could believe testing isn't needed, and if they thought it was too high they could believe the policy isn't working.

Clio Superintendent Fay Latture, who said she doesn't know how many students have tested positive, said the district can't release the number of positive tests for confidentiality reasons.

In all three districts, students who test positive for the first time aren't disciplined. Instead they are referred to treatment programs.

Students who test positive a second time are kicked off their teams.

Grand Blanc and Lake Fenton test for 10 types of drugs, which include marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines and barbiturates. Clio tests for the same 10, plus ecstasy.

None of the local schools test for steroids because of the expense, officials said. Steroids tests cost about $125 to $150 apiece, said Conaty, the official from the drug-testing company.

Atherton has been holding meetings to find out what parents think about the district starting a drug-testing policy for athletes. The district has set no timeline for a decision, said Superintendent Mark Madden.

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Higher Logic

None of the local schools test for steroids because of the expense... Yup, that's pretty much all I gotta say, because I really can't think of anything else to say about drug testing kids.

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Buzzby

I have something else to say about it: student drug testing drives kids from using relatively safe marijuana, which can show up on a test for a month, to using much more dangerous drugs (including alcohol) which have a much shorter detection window.

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Arise -SWS-

"He wouldn't reveal how many students tested positive because of fears about how people would interpret the numbers. If people thought the number was too low, he said, they could believe testing isn't needed, and if they thought it was too high they could believe the policy isn't working."

The quote above is how I know that this guy is deadset on keeping this policy, come hell or high water. The school's probably getting some kind of incentive they don't want to lose, should their drug testing policy come under fire and be cancelled. So instead of making a rational, fair decision based on the results of the drug testing program, he's gonna keep the numbers secret, and keep doing it regardless of what people think.

What an asshole.

TheNewGuy

Yeah, withholding information like that should raise red flags. I mean, if the program is neccessary, then what do they have to hide by showing how well its working? Sounds like theres something going on behind the scenes here.

Exactly. Not to mention the fact that there are several ways to hide the results of a urine test. So what exactly are they proving? How many kids use drugs, or how many kids use drugs and aren't good at cheating a piss test?

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"Anyway, no drug, not even alcohol, causes the fundamental ills of society. If we're looking for the source of our troubles, we shouldn't test people for drugs, we should test them for stupidity, ignorance, greed and love of power." ~P.J. O'Rourke

 

Buzzby

Why, exactly, is a public school employee entitled to hide the results of public school policy from the people who are paying his salary? If the program isn't needed, why continue it? If it's not working, shouldn't it be changed?

TheNewGuy

If they responded to common sense, yes. However, if they responded to common sense, marijuana wouldn't be illegal.

Buzzby

Good point!

Buddah684

Wow interresting enough story, im not sure where i've been! My college is only about 10 minutes away from these schools and I didn't hear about it. interresting!

Higher Logic

Great point. These kids have a much better chance of using basically every other drug on say Thursday or Friday and stand to pass if the test were to be given the next week.