New A.D. Brings Back Drug Testing To District

KXAN.com (Texas), Erin Cargile

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/hays/high-school-brings-back-drug-testing

SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) – After three years without random drug testing in the San Marcos school district, the new athletic director convinced the school board to bring it back.

In 2010 when grant money ran out, the San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District decided not to spend taxpayer dollars to continue the program.

“I think we would have had more positives if it was a problem and if we had a much larger number of positive tests, I think we would have kept the program going,” school board president Kathy Hanson told KXAN News in October 2010.

Over a period of five years only five high school and middle school students out of 1,200 tested positive for drugs.

October 2010: San Marcos quits drug testing students

At the time, high school students told KXAN the fear of getting caught helped them say “no.” Jennifer Mazac was one of the students who had been randomly selected. She said ending the program would produce negative results.

“[Students] don’t have to worry about it anymore, so [drug use] is probably going to be prone to happen some more,” Mazac.

Turns out, she was right.

According to Superintendent Mark Eades, several students were recently caught using alcohol and drugs. Athletic Director Mark Soto asked the school board to bring the program back.

“His feeling was it would give the students the opportunity to be able to say ’no,”’ said Eades.

This time around only high school students will be randomly tested — not middle school students.

A private company will be paid $13,000 a year to test 30 student a month which equals 240 a year. Half will be boys and half will be girls.

The pool of students will be much smaller than other Central Texas districts who drug test. The Marble Falls school district tests more that 2,000 students and year and goes beyond extracurricular activities to include all students who drive a car to school.

The Georgetown school district has been testing 3,000 students a year, but decided not to test this school year due to budget cuts.

San Marcos is also rolling out tougher consequences this time around.

The first time a student tests positive for drugs they must sit out of all competitions for an entire year, go to counseling and be tested seven more times in a row.

If a students tests positive twice, they will be banned from extracurricular activities for the rest of their high school career.

“My hope is that we never have a positive,” said Eades. “And if we do that means it’s working.”