MONROE — While school officials touted the positive impact of random drug testing of students who wish to take part in athletics or activities during a policy committee meeting Monday, Monroe High School freshman Cora Rowan has a different perspective on the tests meant to prevent use of illicit substances.

“It’s stopping kids out of fear,” Rowan said. “It does not work effectively.”

Instead, Rowan argued after the end of the School District of Monroe Policy Committee meeting May 13, prevention only works when students know they will be tested and will quickly be forgotten once they are no longer policed by officials at the school. If parents do not sign the policy agreement, students can’t take part in extracurricular activities, like clubs, sports and plays.

Rowan attended the meeting with her father, Philip Hoffman, a Monroe resident who refused to sign the form that would allow his children to be randomly chosen as part of drug testing implemented in the 2018-19 school year. As a result, Rowan cannot take part in school plays, a pastime she greatly enjoys.

“They’re a big part of me,” Rowan said, expressing disappointment after the meeting ended.

During the policy meeting, Hoffman said he refused to sign the form because he did not agree discipline for the misuse of certain substances should be handled by school officials.

“I parent my kid, not you guys,” he said, pointing to the administrators and school board members in the Monroe Middle School library.

Hoffman said in his opinion it infringes on Constitutional liberty. District Administrator Rick Waski said the U.S. Supreme Court ruled drug testing as legal under the authority of school districts.

The Random Suspicionless Drug Testing of Students Policy was being considered once again because the Monroe School Board is in the process of changing the district’s antiquated policy code to a uniform one under consulting company Neola. It will be incorporated into the 5000 section of policy. It must first be considered once more by the policy committee in early June before members can recommend it to the full school board for approval. 

Tests conducted through Monroe Clinic have nine panels, including amphetamines, cocaine, marijuana, opiates, barbiturates, benzodiazepines like Xanax or Valium, methadone, the pain reliever narcotic propoxyphene, and phencyclidine, which is commonly referred to as PCP. Students are also tested for nicotine use. It is referred to as random and lacking suspicion because tests are chosen by randomly generated numbers assigned to them after they sign the consent form. The numbers, chosen by the agency conducting the tests, are then relayed to Director of Pupil Services Joe Monroe, who discreetly calls the students out of a free morning period.

MHS Assistant Principal Jeriamy Jackson said in July when the policy was being considered that he would prefer the policy not catch any students, but simply act as a deterrent. He nearly got his wish.

After almost one school year of tests, Activities Director Jeff Newcomer said 61 students had been selected of a pool over more than 420. Of that total, two have tested positive. The substance found in both was nicotine, the result of vaping, Newcomer said. 

He also presented surveys to the committee. One sent to the entire student body received 216 replies. Administrators said the responses were given out during a free period for students and that no one was required to answer any of the questions.

Newcomer said officials found “a strong response of positive change” at the response to, “Do you feel that MHS having this policy in place has helped anyone you know avoid drugs or tobacco?” and “Do you feel that MHS having this policy in place has helped you avoid using drugs or tobacco?” To the question of personal use, 45 respondents said “definitely yes,” 34 answered “probably yes” and “might or might not” was 52. However, total responses of either “probably not” or “definitely not” slightly outnumbered the positive ones.

The question of use by others was even more negative, with 99 respondents answering either “probably not” or “definitely not.” Of the 216 answers, 18 were “definitely yes” and 46 were “probably yes.” The “might or might not” received 53 answers.

Of the 31 parent responses to a survey sent to all parents of students tested, 22 of 31 said they “definitely” support the testing program. Only 1 answered “definitely not.”

Teri Ellefson, a parent, stood in support of the policy. Ellefson thanked board members for giving students the opportunity to say no to illegal substances by using the tests as a reason. She said “kids are saying no” in the face of the “decision to do activities or sports and/or do the drugs.”

Newcomer said it is hard to note a trend in a single year, but the number of students in sports has not declined. He did not have figures on students who take part in academic clubs or activities.

Each test is a cost of roughly $40 per student. Newcomer said the funding of nearly $2,000 is provided through the athletics and activities accounts, which reduces the amount of money available for equipment.

Rowan acknowledged vaping seems to be a common problem within the district. She often hears about it, and said she has seen other students using the water vapor pipes. As for marijuana use, she said she doesn’t know anyone personally who smokes it. 

Parents at meetings debating initial implementation of the tests said their children had remarked on the prevalence of the drug in the district.

Rowan said when the policy was implemented, her play director informed her she could not take part and took the playbook out of her hands while standing in the hallway with friends. She said despite initially wanting to simply sign the document to continue acting, once she researched the topic herself, she agreed with Hoffman. 

Rowan told committee members that not being able to take part in musicals and plays has been difficult.

“As a high school student, I feel it is a very important part of my high school journey to be included in things at the school,” Rowan said. “And if the drug testing is stopping students from doing extracurricular activities, like the plays, musicals and sports, then maybe it wouldn’t affect some scholarship opportunities, but it does affect the child.”