With the Alliance School Board expected to vote on the enactment of a drug testing policy at Alliance Public Schools during their next meeting on Sept. 12, board members are looking for feedback about the program from the public as they weigh their options.
On Aug. 24, roughly 100 people gathered at the Alliance Performing Arts Center to listen to the details of the program that was presented to school board members at their meeting in August, and to weigh in on the issue. Superintendent Dr. Troy Unzicker explained that this policy was proposed in the past, but that it went away. This recent effort is the result of the work of the Wellness Committee, as they strive to steer teens away from using drugs.
The program would be mandatory for all students in Alliance Middle School and Alliance High School involved in extracurricular activities, though parents have the option to enroll their students in the program. Unzicker explained that Alliance Public Schools is not allowed to test the entire student body or the entire staff at Alliance Public Schools. He noted that a board policy already exists, but if the board votes to approve the measure, it would add specificity and enforce the policy.
The proposed tests do not include nicotine or alcohol, though, the Wellness Committee is researching adding a nicotine test. The tests would be funded in part by a donation from Box Butte General Hospital.
Students who sign up to be involved in an extracurricular activity would sign on for a one-year term for testing, and be added to a pool of students subject to tests. The testing would be 100 percent random. Unzicker said the tests have been very reliable in other school districts. Any positive test would be sent to a reference lab to test for the actual value of the substance found in the sample to determine whether the substance was in a therapeutic range, such as prescription medication.
One person in attendance asked whether parents would be notified about their student being tested. Amanda Clarke, Chairperson of the Wellness Committee, indicated that parents would only be notified if their student tested positive. Unzicker said the easiest thing would be for students to be given a chance to contact their parents following a test to notify them.
Karen Benzel asked about what measures would be taken to help students who test positive in this program. Clarke noted that this is not meant to be a “gotcha” system, explaining that students would be referred to drug counseling. Clarke said that if students test positive, the police will not be contacted, and that they would only lose access to extracurricular privileges Benzel said that a lot of the families she works with do not have the resources for those types of programs, and she asked who would pay for those resources to get students the help they need. She noted that many mental-health providers in Alliance are full.
Coach Angie Hiemstra said there is only so much the district can do. She asked community members and parents to step up to the plate to aid this program, noting that this policy provides a starting point to help students fight addiction. Benzel said she mainly wants to see an effective referral process. Clarke emphasized that the wellness committee is open to ideas from the community.
Clarke noted that even discussion about the program possibly starting has led some students to contact their coaches about getting help with getting away from using drugs. She explained there are no punitive consequences if a student asks for help.
Another person asked whether there would be a grace period, and Unzicker explained that even if the policy is approved at the Sept. 12 meeting, it will take a few weeks to implement. He noted that he is still waiting for the attorney to review the policy to determine if there are any changes that need to be made.
Unzicker explained that students who are not involved in extracurricular activities, but are opted into the program by their parents, face no punitive actions since they are not participating in activities outside the classroom. He said that those participating in extracurricular activities are held to a higher standard.
“You’re held to a lot higher standard if you participate in activities, as you probably should, because we take you out on the road and you are a representative of our community,” said Unzicker.
At the forum, one person asked about the percentage of students would be affected, and Unzicker determined 30-35 percent would be enrolled in the program automatically by participating in extracurricular activities. The remaining percentage of the student body would have to be enrolled in the program by their parents.
“Hopefully parents see, especially if your kid’s not participating, there’s no penalty if you’re positive, other than we get help and you’re aware that, ‘Hey, my kid could have a problem,’ and we start looking into it,” said Unzicker. “I’m hoping the 70 percent that don’t participate opt into to program.”
One person in attendance asked why the program is targeted at students who are participating when they are trying to excel, noting that those students are unlikely to be using drugs. Unzicker explained that they can only test those students who participate in activities. Hiemstra explained that many coaches have seen the effects of their athletes using drugs, emphasizing that a drug-testing program could help deter that drug use.
“As a coach, you would think that,” said Hiemstra. “I’ve coached for 30 years. We have seen, first hand, our athletes deteriorate into our worst nightmare. We truly care about these kids, and this is where we feel we can start. We want the best for them. I don’t care that they didn’t make it through the football season, but now, all their hopes and dreams are gone because of the drugs they decided to take. Their bodies have deteriorated. Every coach here has seen it first hand in their programs. You can say athletes aren’t doing it, and a lot of them are not, I’m not saying they’re all doing it, but if we can save one, we feel it’s worth it.”
After further discussion at the forum, Anita James, Activities Director at Alliance High School said she hopes this program can help address the drug problem found in Alliance.
“It takes us all to get over this, and get through this,” James said. “It takes every one of us in this room to do it. We have a problem. It’s tough to admit, and it kind of hurts me, because I love this community, it’s done a lot for me, I work with great people and great kids, and yes, it hurts to admit we have a problem, but at the same time, we have a problem, and we need to do something about it to help our kids. If we save one kid with this, it’s priceless. Hopefully we save more than one, we save one right after another, right after another.
“It might be tough at first because we might come back with some positive tests, and those aren’t going to be fun conversations, but at the same time, hopefully we get those kids on the right road to get the help they need, and realize, ‘Hey, I can’t do this. It’s not for me. I got to live a better life.’ It takes all of us to make our kids better, our school better, our community better. If we want Alliance to be the best hometown in America, we’ve got to do it together and come together on this, because we have a problem,” said James.
People are encouraged to provide feedback about the program prior to the Sept. 12 school board meeting. They can do so on a form located on the Alliance Public Schools website, or by contacting school board members. People may read a copy of the proposed policy that was distributed to those in attendance at the forum by clicking the link below: