New law gives school divisions

New law gives school divisions

a drug abuse prevention tool

One piece of legislation that passed easily

through both the Virginia House of Delegates

and the Senate this year without an opposing vote was House Bill 2091, “Drug Testing in Public Schools,” patroned by Delegate Johnny Joannou (DPortsmouth).

The Virginia Department of Education is now at work on the plan, and Rappahannock as well as other school boards across the state will soon be receiving optional guidelines which they can follow.

It has been stressed that the purpose of testing is “health-based,” and used primarily for identifying students with drug abuse problems and getting help for them, rather than punishing them.

Since Virginia is the first state to endorse the plan, there are still some questions that must be answered.

Because the legislation deals with student conduct, searches and seizure, it is expected to generate controversy despite the overwhelming support of the legislature.

HB 2091 is based on a recent U. S. Supreme Court ruling (Board of Education of Independent School District No. 92 of Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma vs Earl et al), which expands the authority of school officials to perform random voluntary and mandatory drug testing already allowed for school athletes as a condition of participation to all groups in their schools.

Having now received the blessing of the federal and state governments, it is up to individual school boards to devise the scope of the testing and the standards that they wish to have followed.

Depending on what they consider the existing or potential drug abuse problems in their schools, administrators can design their drug testing program to be as comprehensive as they wish.

But for this new tool to accomplish what it is supposed to do, it must be applied fairly.