MTHS makes drug testing a priority for involved students
Adam Bockler - May 10, 2010
METAMORA, Ill. -- Even though there are penalties in place for students who violate Metamora Township High School's drug testing policy by smoking marijuana, the faculty wants the policy mostly to be a deterrent.
"It's another good reason for students to steer clear from marijuana," said Metamora football coach Pat Ryan.
For Ryan, the key was getting students help and not just penalizing them.
He said he feels the amount of students using any drug is down because of awareness.
The village of Metamora also works with the schools to fend off marijuana use.
Metamora police sergeant Mike Todd ranked marijuana use in town at a six out of 10.
"They're just as concerned as we are to keep it out of the schools," Todd said.
In fact, Todd is working with the village board on procuring a canine unit. He said the town doesn't have a problem, but that the police are trying to deter and be proactive against marijuana use.
The biggest disadvantage to using marijuana, Ryan said, was the students' ability to learn.
"They're not putting their best foot forward academically" when they have to compete globally instead of just nationally, he said.
Ryan, also the school's health teacher, said he sees no benefit to marijuana other than for medical use among adults.
For some students, he said, drugs are their niche. He said a variety of clubs and teams have welcomed certain students who didn't seem to have a place.
Students who aren't involved in anything have nothing to lose, according to Ryan.
The drug testing isn't the only method the school can rely on, but he said it's an important piece of the puzzle.
"To say you've totally eliminated it, you've got to be real, real careful," he said.
How the testing works
Metamora instituted its random drug testing policy during the 2007-08 school year. The testing applies to any extracurricular activity, including sports and clubs.
MTHS dean Bob Schlemmer estimates this to be a majority of the student body – around 75 percent.
Mobex, Inc., of Peoria, conducts the tests and can return results in three days. Every student who enters an activity must sign a waiver that will remain on file all four years. The students are then entered into a database. When officials from Mobex come to the school, they have randomly selected names of 10 students to test unannounced on site.
Parents can also request their child be tested.
If a student is drawn to test but isn't present at school that day, that student will be on the list for the next test.
Tests are done two ways. The first is the swab method, which costs $41, according to athletic director secretary Jackie Mathews. The swab tests for amphetamines, opiates, nicotine and cocaine, among other substances.
The other way is the urine test, which Mathews said costs $110. In addition to the drugs the swab test looks for, the urine test looks for alcohol and steroids.
The cost of the drug tests exceeds $10,000 annually, said Schlemmer, but he said that's minimal compared to a budget that can reach up to $5 million.
"Do you spend your money on drug testing or do you spend it on books," he asked.
Some schools charge students to participate in extracurricular activities in what he called a "pay-to-play" system. At MTHS, $125 covers the yearly expenses for a student.
What happens when a positive test shows up
When asked, Ryan said he didn't know how many students of his had been tested because of the anonymous, random selection process.
Positive results, however, are released to the coaches, who must deal with the situation.
Ryan said a student has been caught using marijuana on his team. Instead of punishing the student right away, Ryan asked the student if he had a problem.
"The opportunity for the second chance has to be there," he said.
When students are caught, he said it's probably from habitual use. Likening it to alcohol, he said people who are written up for a DUI have probably driven drunk behind the wheel before. In other words, students who return a positive drug test are probably not first-time users.
Students who are have completely decided to get out of all extracurricular activities have the ability to opt out of the drug testing program. Mathews recently had one student opt out.
The senior, who hadn't been involved in anything since she had been a sophomore, was still in the system. The student's parents signed the opt-out form and she refused the test.
Students do not have the ability to opt out when their season is over, only to opt back in again at the start of a new season.
Schlemmer said this was to curb drug use during the off-season.
"You know they do it," he said, "but you can't penalize the general student population."
His solution is to automatically sit the student out for a period of time before letting that student participate again. By signing the opt-in sheet after opting out, the student understands he or she must submit a urine or swab test.
For students who are thought to be using drugs but aren't in an extracurricular activity, Schlemmer will seek help. Those students need help because he can't take any privileges away from them, he said.
Schlemmer said he's never encountered steroid use, but he is aware of how some people talk about the football team.
Ryan said he was confident nobody on his team was using steroids.
The Metamora Redbirds were in the state championship game for the last three seasons, having won in 2007 and 2009.
For regional, sectional and state games, the IHSA conducts its own testing. Those waivers must be renewed once a year. With that, Ryan said there wasn't one issue among his athletes.
See what some MTHS students had to say about marijuana use and their school's drug testing policy.
How much do you know about marijuana?