Last updated : November 11, 2024
Although officials from the Cleveland Heights-University Heights (CH-UH) school district don’t consider drug abuse to be a massive problem in their district, they are ready to begin conversations about providing students with a simple and effective way to resist peer pressure and stay away from drugs.
The deterrent would come in the form of the “Tiger Up!” drug testing program aimed at a key population of students that included those who drive to school, those whose parents participate in the program, and those involved in extra-curricular activities like clubs, athletics, Student Council and music programs. “Tiger Up!” could also be utilized when school officials strongly suspect a student is using drugs.
Officials believe the program would foster the well-being and safety of all students, and help them avoid drugs by restricting their participation in certain school activities if they did not pass the random drug tests, which would be conducted by obtaining hair samples. Drugs detected would include cocaine, marijuana, opiates and ecstasy. In addition to preventing drug use, the program would also help students who were using drugs get the support and treatment they needed to recover. Penalties for a positive drug test would focus on treatment rather than complete removal from activities, but repeated failures could result in suspension from an activity for specific time periods up to a maximum penalty of one calendar year. Positive test results would be discarded after the school years so that they did not show up on students’ permanent records, and privacy measures would include limitations on the number of people involved in each case.
CH-UH officials want to discuss the proposed policy with the school board before they seek public input. Public meetings have not yet been scheduled, and a timeline on a first reading by mid-August may not be possible. According to board member Nancy Peppler, there are still many details to work out before moving forward. The administration is currently reviewing the potential baseline cost for a school drug testing program. The least expensive would be approximately $15,000 per year; this option would involve random drug tests of 60 students from seventh to twelfth grade on a bi-monthly schedule. Treatment costs for students who tested positive for drugs would not be paid by the district; they should be covered by family health insurance plans.
