School District Considers Random Drug Testing for Students

At last Tuesday's school board meeting in Wewahitchka, Gulf County School Superintendent Tim Wilder asked the board to consider random drug testing of student athletes and participants in extra-curricular activities.

In advocating the measure, Wilder said he was responding to a recent survey which ranked Gulf County second in past 30-day binge drinking among teens.

"I think we need to do things a little differently," said Wilder, who has advocated drug testing in previous meetings.

Wilder and Assistant Superintendent for Business Services Bill Carr have explored the costs of swab kits for drug testing.

Carr, who called the swab kit the "most expensive but least intrusive" method of drug testing, said the price per test is $60 - $30 for the swab and $30 for lab work.

According to Wilder, the school system would randomly test eligible students, except in cases where administrators have a "reasonable suspicion" that a student has used an illegal drug.

"If an administrator thinks a student is under the influence, what they've done in other places is use the SRO (School Resource Officer), who is trained to swab the mouth," said Wilder.

Port St. Joe High School's SRO, Stacey Strickland, has received training in swab testing, Wilder said.

In 2002, the U.S. Supreme Court broadened the authority of public schools to test students for illegal drugs, making it possible to test all middle and high school students participating in extracurricular activities.

Previously, schools were only allowed to drug test student athletes.

Acknowledging the controversial nature of school drug testing, Wilder said the school system would need to exercise caution.

"We have to be very careful in how we do it. That it is random, that we're not picking on someone," he said.

Though budgetary constraints will not allow the school board to implement drug testing at this time, Wilder urged the board to keep the program "in mind when funds become available."

In other school board business:

* Coordinator of Special Services Deborah Crosby told the board the speech pathologist position remains unfilled after being advertised for months.

The vacancy will require the board to hire an aide to assist speech pathologist Jane Creamer, who is based in Wewahitchka.

A total of 114 students in the district require speech therapy, 60 in Wewahitchka and 54 in Port St. Joe.

While not a permanent solution, hiring an aide will enable Creamer to work with more students at one time, thus lessening her workload.

Crosby attributed the lack of interest in the speech pathologist position to a salary that is not competitive with neighboring counties.

According to Crosby, speech therapists make $15,000 a year more in Bay County than in Gulf County.

*State Rep. Jimmy Patronis (R-Panama City) made a special appearance at the meeting to honor the Wewahitchka Lady Gators softball team's Class 2A state championship victory this May.

"Nobody gets to brag any louder than I do about having the state championship team in my backyard," said Patronis, who presented the team a plaque honoring their achievement.

Patronis told the girls to consider the plaque "the state of Florida giving you an ‘Atta, boy,' or in this case, ‘Atta, girl.'"

Patronis' unopposed bid for reelection also left him with campaign contributions to invest in worthy projects throughout District 6.

At the meeting, Patronis presented $2,000 to the Gulf Education Foundation, which provides mini-grants for education and learning projects in the district.

Accepting the donation, Gulf Education Foundation representative Carla May said the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations will match the donation.

"This $2,000 just became $4,000," said May.

The Consortium will match up to $11,000 in Gulf Education Foundation funds. According to May, fundraising has been tight this year, and the foundation is about $2,000 short of that benchmark.

The foundation will continue its fundraising efforts and hopes to receive the full match for this year.

*Board chairperson Linda Wood signed a resolution proclaiming Oct. 1-10, 2008 "Disability and Awareness Weeks."