The Manheim Township school board is set to take a final vote Monday regarding a proposed drug testing program that will be cover all Manheim Township middle and high school students who engage in extra-curricular activities or drive themselves to school. According to a report on Lancaster Online, the school board will be voting on the program during their 7:30 pm meeting.
Should the board approve the proposal, it will become the sixth in Lancaster Country to perform random drug testing on students.
The proposal was brought forward last year after high-profile arrests were made at the high school, as well as the release of the results of a survey conducted in 2007 that showed that Township students were using drugs and drinking alcohol at a rate that was higher than their peers who are studying in other schools.
The policy that was proposed was based on drug testing programs that are already in place in Lampeter-Strasburg and Penn Manor high schools. It calls for the participation in random drug testing of students who would like to participate in extra-curricular activities or drive to school. Students and their parents will have to agree in writing to participate in the drug testing.
The program will come at an estimated cost of $15,000 per year, and will test for such substances as marijuana, cocaine and heroin as well as for prescription medication and alcohol. A positive result will lead to a meeting with the student involved and his or her parents in order to discuss possible legal medications that may have triggered the positive result. Barring that, the student may face up to 60 days of suspension from activities as well as driving privileges.
Tags: Mannheim Township drug test, school drug test, student drug test
