Board reviews revised drug testing policy

The Wahkiakum School Board met last Wednesday and reviewed the latest version of a Drug Testing Policy, which allows testing of students suspected of being under the influence of alcohol or drugs at school.

Superintendent Bob Garrett prepared a new version of the policy with input from school attorney Dan Bigelow that stresses the optional nature of the test.

A student who declines the test is assumed to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol and is subject to the penalties described in the Student Handbook. Those who take the urine test and follow recommendations of a pre-assessment receive lesser penalties. For a first offense, students who followed recommendations would receive a one-day suspension rather than a 10-day suspension.

Garrett said under the new version if a student was referred to the DITEP team, which includes a school board member and teachers who have taken a two-day Drug Identification Training for Educational Professionals, “We could say, we think you’ve been using, but we can offer you an opportunity to test at the district’s expense.”

Director Tina Schubert clarified that parents could decline to have a student tested, if the student was younger than 18. At 18, a student can give permission to test if he or she chooses, Garrett said.

Bigelow said offering an opportunity to test could be more defensible in a lawsuit. Garrett said he thought this offered a transition, that the district can evaluate the results of adopting the policy. The district was sued in 1999 when it sought to randomly test athletes, ultimately losing upon appeal to the state supreme court in 2008.

Garrett said the only negative to the new policy might be that students who had requested action from the board feel let down. He said he has spoken with students who brought their concerns to the board, Tammy Peterson and the Meth Action Committee, all of whom supported the new policy.

Garrett will put the policy on the school website and will make copies available at the school. The board members will review the policy before the April meeting and may vote to implement it at that time.

In other business the board awarded a logging contract to Robert Olson, the chosen bidder, to log three-plus acres in the school forest.

The board approved a utilities easement for the Town of Cathlamet to connect water to the proposed Waste Water Treatment Plant to be located across from the district on SR4, with the conditions that the easement would end if the town is not funded within five years, and that the district could tap into the line in the future, if feasible.

The town required the easement to submit its funding application.

The board also granted an easement to a not-for-profit company, Northwest Open Access Network (NoaNet), to install a concrete pad for a cabinet to house electronic equipment at the southeast corner of intersection of the Elm Street and Third Street. NoaNet is building a fiber optic cable network to support high-speed broadband Internet access in rural communities.

The board declined to spend $3500 to fund a portion of a fence that would allow a second ball field to be used in Cal Ripken League play on the school grounds.

Todd Wilson asked the board to share the cost of a fence that would keep spectators safe and allow a second field to be used. Wilson said that Wahkiakum Youth Baseball attracts up to 90 kids.

While the board expressed support for the organization, they declined to spend district funds. Garrett told the board he was very concerned about the upcoming state budget, and was holding teacher’s requests for supplies.

The board agreed to allow Pop Art-inspired designs created by Tina Merz’s sixth grade class to be painted on the school pavement at the Elementary and Middle School.

Students created four by four foot designs, featuring items popular in 1998 when they were attending elementary school, including Reese’s cups, Skittles, Monster high-energy drinks and an iPod.

Peterson, Wahkiakum Community Network PR Coordinator, questioned the wisdom of suggesting that Monster drinks were cool, since health professionals have concerns about their use.

“I think you have choices,” Merz said.

Referring to Warhol’s iconic painting, Theresa Libby, the building’s principal joked, “Today you would have to have Campbell’s low sodium soup.”

After Merz gathers more designs, staff will select the images to be used, Libby said.