FINCASTLE, Va. – Botetourt County Public Schools has reinstated random drug testing for students participating in certain extracurricular activities and those with parking passes, allocating $65,000 of its budget towards the new policy.
The new random drug policy, which took effect as schools opened this week, requires students in grades 6-12 who participate in competitive activities outside of the school, like sports, band, and choir, to consent to random drug screening. Students who wish to have parking privileges must also agree to undergo testing.
“With changes in Virginia legislation in recent years, we’ve seen an increase not just in Botetourt but across the state in cannabis use among teens,” said Assistant Superintendent Jordan Pinkard with Botetourt County Public Schools. “We’re just looking for some ways to reduce some substance use and addiction across the division.”
Testing will be conducted by an outside agency, with results expected within a week. The company is testing for cannabis, barbiturates, opioids, alcohol, and nicotine.
The school system modeled its random drug testing policy after Campbell County’s program, which reported an 82% decrease in incidents after implementing a similar policy last fall, according to Pinkard.
This is an old policy that the school division is bringing back.
Pinkard said Botetourt County Public Schools is also bringing back the policy after meeting with students from across the division who had previously been part of the policy.
“They advocated that it was a positive deterrent for students. It gave our students who maybe didn’t want to succumb into peer pressure a safe way to say no ultimately. Peer pressure is a real thing, and this is hopefully a positive,” said Pinkard.
Pinkard also said student safety motivated the inclusion of parking privileges in the testing program.
“We believe strongly that if a student is under the influence of cannabis or alcohol or things of that nature, that it’s not safe for them to be behind the wheel of a vehicle, and we also would like to provide them some of those preventative services and rehabilitative services if they do happen to be using,” said Pinkard.
The random testing will occur twice during each season - fall, winter, and spring.
Students will be randomly selected during each testing period using student ID numbers. Pinkard said he thinks an estimated 250 students will be tested throughout the year.
Here are the consequences that students face for positive tests:
- First offense: 14-day suspension from competition and loss of parking privileges. Students will also have to participate in the Student Assistance and Prevention Program.
- Second offense: 60-day suspension from activities and parking privileges. Students will also be ineligible for athletic/ extracurricular tryouts and leadership roles. Kids are required to take part in a therapeutic program and provide a negative drug test to return.
- Third offense: One-year suspension from all athletic/extracurricular activities and loss of parking privileges.
If students want to appeal, a student who is 18 years or older or a parent/guardian will need to submit a written appeal to the superintendent within five working days of the positive test. Then, the appeal will be reviewed by a committee, and the group will issue a decision within 15 working days.
“The number one goal is prevention and rehabilitation,” said Pinkard.