Philosophy

It is the intent of the West Fork School District to encourage and support our students in their efforts to develop and maintain an illegal drug-free and alcohol-free lifestyle.

The school district recognizes the use of illegal drugs and alcohol as a significant community health problem nationwide, and also particularly for many students in the state of Arkansas, resulting in negative effects on behavior, learning, and the total development of each individual. The abuse of illegal drugs and alcohol may affect academic growth, athletic achievement, activities participation, and may lead to life-long dependency issues and increasing, accidental overdose. Families, teammates, schoolmates, and other significant persons in the students' lives are also affected by the abuse of illegal drugs and alcohol. Therefore, the West Fork School District has developed this policy and commits to ensuring the best possible overall student body health.

Purpose

The purposes of the illegal drug and alcohol screen tests of the West Fork School District are as follows:

1. Emphasize concerns for the health of students in areas of safety while participating in interscholastic activities and the longer-term physical and emotional effects of illegal drug use and/or alcohol use on their health.
2. Work with the parents to assist in keeping their children free of illegal drugs and/or alcohol.
3. Promote a sense of order and discipline among students.
4. Confirm and support existing state laws that restrain the use of such illegal drugs and/or alcohol.
5. Establish standards of conduct for those students who are leaders and standard-bearers among their peers.
6. Assist students who desire to resist peer pressure that directs them toward the use of illegal drugs and/or alcohol.
7. Assist students who should be referred for assistance or evaluation regarding their use of illegal drugs and/or alcohol.
8. To promote and insure the safety and well-being of students and their passengers who drive to school and park on campus.

Consent

Any student who wishes to participate in any interscholastic activity listed below or who wishes to drive a motor vehicle to school and park on campus shall consent in writing to illegal drug and alcohol testing pursuant to this policy. Additionally, a parent, legal guardian or someone standing in loco parentis must also sign a consent form for any student under the age of 18 years old unless the student has been emancipated by a Court of competent jurisdiction and provides an order evidencing such.

Interscholastic Activities With Participants Subject to Drug and Alcohol Testing (9th-12th grades)

1. Athletic Teams including Cheerleading;
2. Band;
3. Choir;
4. FFA;
5. Quiz Bowl;
6. FCCLA;
7. FBLA;
8. Model UN; and
9. SkillsUSA (VICA)

Procedures for Testing

1. Prior to testing, each student, unless emancipated or age 18 or older, must have a signed Parental/Legal Guardian Illegal Drug and Alcohol Testing Consent Form as a requirement for participation in an interscholastic activity. Additionally, students, unless emancipated or age 18 or older that want to drive to school and park on campus must also have a signed Parental/Legal Guardian Illegal Drug and Alcohol Testing Consent Form as a requirement. Failure to produce the signed consent form will result in the student being prohibited from participating in an interscholastic activity or drive to school and park on campus until a form is signed and submitted to the school.
2. Random unannounced testing will be conducted throughout the school year. The number of names drawn will be no less than 5% of the population in the pool, for both the illegal drug testing and the alcohol testing. The random selection process and testing will be conducted by an outside contracted company by certified collectors at no cost to the student.
3. If a coach, director, sponsor, or administrator has reasonable suspicion that a student is engaging in illegal drug or alcohol activity, they may request that a student be placed on the testing list at the expense of the school.
4. Upon being selected and prior to testing, the chosen student will be positively identified by the District’s designee (s) at the testing location. At that point the student may contact his/her parents to be taken to an outside certified testing company at the student’s expense and must provide a copy of the test results to the superintendent or his designee on that same day and that the test consisted of a rapid 10-panel screen that tests for the ten (10) drugs listed below. If the student receives the free in-house test, the student will then be asked to remove any unnecessary outer garments (i.e., coat, jacket, etc.) that might conceal items or substances that could be used to tamper with or alter the urine specimens. Additionally, all personal belongings (i.e., purse, backpacks, etc.) must remain with the outer garments. The student will not be outside of the presence of the district’s designee (s) except for when he/she is in the restroom alone providing the specimen and not have access to faucets, soap dispensers, or cleaning agents until after the specimen has been approved and sealed by the certified collector. For privacy, the student will be allowed to provide the specimen in a portioned stall with the door closed. Immediately after collection, the collector will check the temperature of the specimen and inspect the specimen for color and signs of contaminants. Both the collector and the student being tested will keep the specimen in view at all times prior to its being sealed and labeled.
5. Any selected student who refuses to submit to testing and/or retesting, who adulterates a sample, or violates this illegal drug and alcohol testing policy in any way will be subject to the consequences of a positive test. 
6. Samples will be collected at a scheduled time on the same day the student is selected for testing. If the student is absent on that day, the student will automatically be placed in the next round of testing and a random alternate will be tested instead. If a student is unable to produce a sample at any particular time, the student will remain in the testing area until a sample is provided.
7. All initial test results will be reported the day testing is administered.
8. Any presumed positive test results from in-house testing will be forwarded overnight via FED-EX by the testing company to their certified lab to confirm the sample for accuracy using a Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometer rendering a 100% accurate result. A student who was tested by an outside company may have the same opportunity with their testing company.
9. Once confirmed by the lab, all results will be securely sent back to the school superintendent or his designee (s).
10. If the lab results state that the specimen was a false positive, the student’s suspension will be lifted effective immediately.

Notification of a Positive Test

1. Results of the initial tests will be sent to the school superintendent or his designee on the day of testing. The superintendent or his designee (s) will share the results with the appropriate sponsors, directors, coaches, or building administrators. The parent/legal guardian and student will be notified of a positive test result as soon as all testing is completed, either in person or by direct phone contact by the superintendent or superintendent’s designee (s) (who may be the sponsor or another appropriate member of the staff). A meeting will be set up with both the parent or legal guardian and student to discuss the matter further. Additionally, upon the parent/legal guardian’s initial notification of a positive test result, they will be allowed to take their student to an outside certified testing company at their own expense that same day for a second test. An emancipated student or 18-year-old student will be given the same opportunity. If the results of the second test are negative using the same 10-panel screen found in this policy, and when the written results are provided to the superintendent or his designee (s), the suspension will be lifted effective immediately. 
2. At the meeting, the superintendent’s designee (s) and appropriate sponsor, director, coach, or building administrator will communicate with the parent/legal guardian, go over the consequences of a positive result, and counsel with the student. Substance abuse (drugs and alcohol) counseling will also be recommended at this time at the parent/legal guardian’s expense.
3. Day one (1) of the ten (10) day count for the suspension or probation of a student will begin on the day of this meeting.

Consequences for a Positive Test

1. For the first positive result, the student will be suspended from any type of interscholastic competition or driving to school and parking on campus for ten (10) days. Students in activities will still be expected to attend and participate in practices during their suspension provided the student receives a doctor's written authorization (at student's expense) that states the student is physically able to participate. Additionally, students will be expected to attend all interscholastic competitions during their suspension, but they will not compete or dress out if applicable.
2. After ten (10) days the student will be tested again at his/her own expense using the same 10--panel screen found in this policy and a written copy of the results must be provided to the school superintendent or his designee(s). If the test is negative, the suspension will be lifted. If the test is positive or the student refuses to take the test, the student will not be allowed to continue in interscholastic activities and/or drive to school and park on campus for the remainder of the sport season they are currently participating in. 
3. To participate in another sport the student must be tested again at his/her own expense using the same 10–panel screen found in this policy and a written copy of the results must be provided to the school superintendent or his designee(s). The student must also take an approved Drug Awareness class at their own expense and present a certificate of completion before they are eligible to participate.
4. A third positive testing during the same school year will eliminate a student from interscholastic activity and/or driving to school and parking on campus for the remainder of that school year with no additional testing being done.
5. To regain eligibility for interscholastic activity or driving to school and parking on campus for the next year a student must have a negative screening test. This test will be at the student’s expense using the same 10--panel screen found in this policy and a written copy of the results must be provided to the school superintendent or his designee (s). If the test is negative, the suspension will be lifted. The test must not be taken earlier than 10 days prior to the first official day of practice and/or the first day of school. 
6. Positive test results shall not be provided to police or other law enforcement agencies.

Substance Abuse (Drug & Alcohol) Counseling to Avoid Random Testing

1. A student in the population pool may avoid having their name randomly chosen and suspended for ten (10) days by approaching the superintendent’s designee or the student’s appropriate sponsor, director, coach, or building administrator in confidence and admitting to his/her recent use of illegal drugs or alcohol and agreeing to attend substance abuse counseling at his/her parent’s expense.
2. Upon their admission, the superintendent’s designee or appropriate sponsor, director, coach, or building administrator will notify the parent/legal guardian in person or by direct phone contact of their child’s admission and a meeting will be set up with both the parent/legal guardian and student to discuss the matter further.
3. At the meeting, the superintendent’s designee and appropriate sponsor, director, coach, or building administrator will communicate with the parent or legal guardian, go over the consequences of a positive test result, and counsel with the student. In order to be placed on a ten (10) day probation period, the parent or legal guardian must agree to place their child in a substance abuse counseling program, with the cost to be born by them. The District will cooperate with any reasonable requests for paperwork, if necessary to obtain insurance coverage for the treatment or counseling. 
   1. Until the parents or legal guardians provide proof to the superintendent’s designee or appropriate sponsor, director, coach, or building administrator that their child is enrolled in a substance abuse (drugs and alcohol) counseling program their child will remain suspended (see Consequences for a Positive Test). 
   2. On the day the parents/legal guardians provide proof of substance abuse counseling, the student will move from a suspension to a probation for the remainder of the ten (10) day period provided the student receives a doctor's written authorization (at student's expense) that states the student is physically able to participate. 
4. A student may only avoid being subject to a random monthly screening one time in a school year.

Exceptions to a Positive Test Result

1. Some drugs could take more than ten (10) days to leave the student's system. In this case, a doctor's written opinion is requested and is at the student's expense.
2. Students who are taking prescription medication may provide a signed physician’s statement on his/her office letterhead to be given to the Superintendent or his designee (s) within five (5) business days of notification of a positive result stating that the student’s use of such medication could have impacted the accuracy of the results. Students who refuse to provide verification and test positive will be subject to the consequences of a positive result as described in this policy.

Substance Abuse Screen

The following drugs and categories of drugs are a part of the 10-panel drug screening conducted by the outside contracted company on behalf of the West Fork School District. Additionally, testing for ethyl alcohol will also be randomly tested.

1. Amphetamines

2. Barbituates

3. Benzodiazepines

4. Cocaine

5. Oxycodone

6. Opiates

7. PCP

8. THC (Cannabinoids)

9. Methamphetamines

10. Methadone