When the Tyrone Area School Board of Directors passed the new Drug Testing policy for students during their August Board meeting, the Board and Administration felt they had come up with a fair policy to help rid the school of drugs.
Now that classes are underway and the policy forms have been sent to the parents and students, the reaction at the early stage of the game has been positive.
“The students have a September 12 deadline to return their forms,” said Tyrone High School principal Rebecca Erb. “There are about 80 percent of the students that will fall under this policy in one form or another and in just three days of school, we have received 350 permission slips back to us.”
There were assemblies with the students during the first few days of school, and Erb was impressed with the reaction of the students.
“We had a lot of good questions,” said Erb. “One student wondered if the school had budgeted money for this? We answered that there is money budgeted for this program. Another student asked if the Principals were willing to test? We told them that the administration and School Board volunteered to participate in the program as well. They asked if the teachers were willing to test. We told the students that the teachers were looking into the issue.”
With the program in its infant stages, Erb noted that a lot of input went into this policy.
“The community was involved in the development of this policy,” said Erb. “The Board, Administration and Community all wanted this policy to serve as a deterrent for the students. We want the athletes and students in extra-cirricular activities to be role models for the younger students.”
The Daily Herald talked with four students this morning and got their reaction to the new policy, and the reaction was positive.
“I have no problem with it (the policy),” said Austin Lynn a member of the Tyrone Key Club. “I hope that it will make the school system better. There will be some kids who will quit to avoid testing. In my case, they can test as often as they like, I just get out of class for free.”
Student Council President Dan Grazier was positive about it as well.
“We need to stop this problem,” said Grazier. “If this program gets other kids help, then it wil be succesful. I have no problem myself being tested at anytime.”
Student Council secretary Misty Snyder is hopeful, but pessimistic about the policy.
“I think it will help,” said Snyder. “It shouldn’t be just for athletes, it should be for everyone. The problem is pretty bad here in the school. I think about 90 percent of the students are either drinking or using drugs in the high school.”
Snyder also participates on the girls track and field team and was straight forward about her stance.
“I’d rather lose every meet and have two people who tested clean than win everything and have a team on drugs. One person makes the rest of the team look bad.”
When asked if being tested multiple times would bother her, Snyder said yes.
“I have nothing to hide,” Snyder added. “They could test me everyday. I would rather be in class getting an education than proving that I don’t do drugs.”
Permission letters are to be returned to the High School main office by September 12.
