Kingsport High School Students Face Random Drug Testing

Kingsport High School Students Face Random Drug Testing

In Kingsport, students in high school might need to undergo random drug tests in the upcoming school year, primarily if they engage in “voluntary extracurricular activities.” The Kingsport City Schools (KCS) Board of Education has announced a plan to implement a drug testing policy for high school students at the start of the new academic year in July. The move aims to deter illegal drug use among the students.

“I believe drug use is more than what you and I would want to believe,” said Board Vice President Brandon Fletcher, signifying the challenging conditions schools face today in sorting out drug use problems among students.

The proposed policy is slated to apply to students across grades 9-12 from July 1, 2024. Specifically, any student participating in a non-academic extracurricular activity, which does not earn a grade, would be subject to these random tests upon the submission of a parental consent form.

The Scope of The Policy

The affected activities are those which do not lead to a grade. Consequently, the students would not be academically affected or suspended from school. Instead, they would only be restrained from taking part in selected voluntary activities.

“This policy is not designed to be punitive,” stated Board President Melissa Woods. It will cover students engaging in athletics such as football, basketball, baseball, volleyball, track, and field. Also, those participating in competitive band, competitive color guard, and groups like the Beta Club, Spanish Club, singing clubs, and the robotics teams.

In contrast, students in non-competitive groups like the regular football band and the football color guard, will not be pertained to under this policy.

Crafting the Policy

The draft policy and procedures have been outlined by the city attorney Bart Rowlett, reflecting federal and Tennessee laws as well as guidance from the Tennessee School Boards Association. In Tennessee, over a hundred public schools have implemented similar drug testing policies and procedures, including Greeneville and Bristol schools.

The changes, however, do not affect pupils that are tested based on reasonable suspension, as handled by the student resource officers. Unlikes these school-based drug tests, those undertaken by student resource officers can lead to criminal charges.

As part of the changes, possession of THC, the main active chemical in marijuana, will be treated as a zero-tolerance offense from July 1, 2024, which could lead to a full academic year’s suspension.

The Testing Procedure

The proposed procedure is planning to perform urinalysis-based 12-panel drug tests each month. The testing will cover a variety of illegal substances, but not alcohol or steroids. As part of the procedure, 20 students from extracurricular activities would be picked each month for a random test, from August through May.

Consequences

“Participation in extracurricular activities is a privilege and not a right,” stated the draft program description. Anyone refusing to take the mandatory test is poised to face the same consequences as those testing positive. Those who test positive would have to take a test for three subsequent months for their first and second positives, and five tests for their third.

A first positive test would result in a 14-calendar day suspension from extracurricular activities, a second positive would result in a 180-day suspension, and a third would result in a 365-day suspension. A fourth positive test could lead to the suspension for the entire high school.

Possible Changes?

Member Todd Golden emphasized the necessity of a strict policy to ensure its effectiveness. “It’s not punitive, but it has to have teeth behind it,” Golden said.

The proposal is in its final stages of development, reflecting careful deliberation by the board’s members… and prompting serious considerations for Kingsport high school students and their parents.