June 16, 2016 at 8:17 a.m.
Board opts not to test students for drugs
Education-based approach will be pursued
Board opts not to test students for drugs
The board took no action following a meeting of the Committee of the Whole Monday night, but the consensus was to drop the drug-testing idea. The district's operations and strategic planning committee had been discussing the idea, most recently on May 9, after district superintendent Kelli Jacobi reported there had been some discussions between coaches, teachers and the administration about the possibility of implementing a testing program.
Over the course of nearly an hour Monday, the board heard from the three-person delegation made up of RHS principal David Ditzler, school nurse Kerri Schmidt and activities director Brian Paulson, who attended a community forum on drug-testing hosted by the Northland Pines district in April.
Pines has been considering implementing a drug testing policy and the forum was a chance for that district's board of education to hear from all concerned.
"Other districts have been discussing it and when Northland Pines made their panel discussion open to the community, we had several people who went to gather information, find out what they were talking about, the pros and cons," Jacobi said. "And we listened to that discussion."
Diztler reported on the delegation's observations of the April forum, as well as information the panel has learned about various testing programs in schools in Medford, Kimberly, Superior, Crivitz and Menominee.
He said the Kimberly High School principal spoke at the Eagle River forum, explaining they had created a counseling-based program for kindergarten through 12th grade, and had chosen not to conduct random drug testing. He said their Youth Risky Behavior Survey data shows a "significant drop" in self-reporting of alcohol or other drug use.
He said the outcome of the forum in Eagle River was an exchange of information between the district, parents and the community.
"It was not a panel of board members," he said.
Ditzler said the Vilas County sheriff and the Eagle River police chief both spoke in favor of a drug-testing program.
"The local law enforcement felt strongly that the school district should do it," Ditzler said, adding that it is unclear whether any of the testing programs the district has studied is actually effective.
"None of them can put their finger on data that supports this being relatively effective," Ditzler said. "Medford is the relatively closest school that has been doing this and they were the most open with us saying 'we're not really sure that the data shows that this is working.'"
Kimberly High School, has an "incredibly well thought out program," according to Ditzler.
"If some time in the future, the School District of Rhinelander moves toward the direction of random drug testing, that would be the school district I would look at and try to model and pattern ours after," he said.
However, he said the three members of the delegation are "firmly convinced" that the SDR needs a solid educational plan for helping students to make wise, healthy choices when it comes to substances, whether it be alcohol, marijuana, heroin, meth or prescription drugs.
In the short time she has been on the school board, Ann Munninghoff-Eshelman said she could remember only two students whose drug problems at school led to expulsion hearings before the board. She said she doesn't think that RHS has a "rampant drug problem" that would require the implementation of random drug testing.
"Here we are talking about a solution, and in my opinion, a pretty drastic solution, to a problem that we've never been advised exists," she said. "If there is a problem, and we do need to be taking action about it, it should have come up at some time. And it hasn't."
Munninghoff-Eshelman, a former public defender, said it isn't fair to single out those students "who have stuck their necks out to be in extracurricular activities.
Asking random students to "pee in a cup" is what people on probation or parole have to go through, she added.
"Do we want treat our student body like probation and parole?" Munninghoff-Eshelman asked.
Board vice president Judy Conlin echoed Munninghoff-Eshelman's statement.
"If there had been evidence in the (youth risky behavior) survey that there is a problem, he (Ditzler) would have come to the board by now," she said.
Board treasurer Mike Roberts said coaches often are faced with the problem of a parent coming to them complaining about the drug use of another member of the team. Without hard evidence, it is impossible to take action against them, however.
"What do you with parents reporting other kids drug use?" Roberts asked. "That's why the coaches are looking for some kind of tool to help them work through this."
Even if the coach is "90 percent certain that person is right" they still cannot call that person out under the present policy, he noted.
"There are just too many political considerations, especially for a coach at a high school," Roberts said.
Dennis O'Brien also felt that intruding into a students' privacy without suspicion was wrong. This is especially important because of how entertainment presents drug and alcohol abuse to teenagers through television shows and movies, he said.
"I think that the fact that we have such a tremendous drug problem in our society is indicative of how hypocritical we are about the nature of the use of drugs, alcohol and tobacco," O'Brien said.
A little later in his comments, O'Brien added, "I think this is a futile discussion, and we should just put this bad idea aside."
Board president Ron Counter agreed there is no definitive evidence there is a drug problem at RHS.
"I don't believe that we should be sitting in this spot, looking at eroding the rights of a select group of students," Counter said. "Not all students, just a select group. "
He also said the board would have to study all the ramifications of implementing a drug testing policy, including the legal aspects.
"Our job should be preventative in the AODA areas," he said.
After some more discussion, the consensus was not to pursue a drug testing program and instead focus on bolstering education on AODA issues.
"We still take on the role of educating, and we will do so with gusto," Ditzler said. "That is something Brian and I talk about with to our head coaches. This is the way we believe Rhinelander athletics should be, the way that Rhinelander co-curriculars should be."
Jamie Taylor may be reached at jtaylor@lake landtimes.com.
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