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BoE OKs drug testing policy changes
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The Effingham County Board of Education approved changes to a drug testing policy that will allow students who do not participate in school sponsored extracurricular activities to voluntary submit to drug testing.

According to the policy, a consent form must be signed by the student and the student’s parent or guardian. Superintendent Randy Shearouse told the board the students would be allowed to be part of the random sampling.
According to the policy, any student participating in a school sponsored extracurricular activity must submit to random drug screenings.

For students who participate in activities who have a positive result on the test, the student and the student’s parents are required to attend substance abuse counseling and submit to recurring drug tests for one year.

On the second positive test, the student will be not be allowed to participate in any school sponsored activity for one year and must submit to recurring drug tests for one year.

If a student tests positive for drugs on a third occasion, the student will not be allowed to participate in any school sponsored activities for the remainder of the high school career.

Students who test positive, but are voluntary participants, will not have the same consequences.

“There would be no punishment tied to it if they turned out positive other than the parents would be notified,” Shearouse said.

Board member Troy Alford said the program was great for the county. He asked if the test used allowed for immediate results.

Shearouse told Alford the drug tests are sent to Effingham Hospital for analysis.