MENTONE - Random student drug and alcohol testing will be held at Tippecanoe Valley High School starting with the 2007-08 school year.
Monday, the school board approved the student random drug and alcohol testing and student assistant programs.
The testing is for students in grades 9-12 who participate in athletics, co-curricular activities, extracurricular activities or drive to school. The random testing will be conducted by Midwest Toxicology, who performs the drug and alcohol testing for Valley's bus drivers.
Students receive no forewarning of the testing. If a student tests positive, they will receive help through the assistance program.
Testing will be implemented beginning this fall.
The board also reorganized.
Mark Wise was named Tippecanoe Valley School Board president.
Each July the school board reorganizes and elects its officers for a year. The president for the past year was Dave O'Brien, who was named as board secretary.
Hal Hoffman, who was not present at Monday's meeting, was named vice president.
The school board also named Sherri Adamson as school corporation treasurer, and Linda Murphy as deputy treasurer. Dr. Francisco Negreros is the school physician.
School board meetings will continue to be held at 7:30 p.m. on the second Monday of every month. The meetings usually are held in the board meeting room at Mentone Elementary School, except when the school board meets at each of the other Valley schools once a year.
In other business, the school board:
n Announced the following meetings, to be held at Mentone Elementary School at 7:30 p.m.: July 30, budget work session; Aug. 13, regular meeting; Aug. 20, budget public hearing; and Sept. 10, regular meeting.
n Approved the plan for use of instructional assistants for the 2007-08 school year as required by the State Department of Education.
n Approved support for North Central Association Districtwide Accreditation.
n Approved hiring Abbey Wallen as a third-grade teacher and Linda Weller as a fifth-grade teacher at Akron Elementary.
n Approved contracts with Beaver Dam Preschool, Area Five Head Start and Kosciusko County Head Start/Cardinal Center.
n Approved changes to the athletic code for 2007-08.
