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SOUTH WHITLEY - Only two parents spoke up against a drug-testing policy for Whitko Schools at Monday's school board meeting.
In the second public discussion on a corporation policy to randomly test for drugs at the middle- and high-school levels, Reg Wilkinson said he was "strongly opposed to any type of drug testing."
If some kids are creating problems, Wilkinson said, the schools have rules to deal with those problems without creating new rules.
He said he was unsure what percentage of the student population was regularly using drugs, including alcohol and tobacco, but "if we're talking 10 percent of the people, why do we wanna test the other 90 percent?" Wilkinson said.
"I think that any board member who votes for this ought to collect the specimen and pay for it himself," Wilkinson said.
Randy Frye also said he opposed drug testing in the schools, but said the problem should be addressed.
Frye said the serious problem is the "lack of substance abuse education programs and counseling" at Whitko schools. "There is not a certified substance abuse counselor at the high school," he said.
The only sure way to eventually eliminate a drug problem is through education and counseling, Frye said, and he advocated spending the money that would have been spent on drug testing on positive programs instead.
No school board members voiced an opinion on the subject, and, though approximately 50 people attended the meeting, no other parents or students spoke out.
Board president Terri Collier, in opening the discussion, told the audience that the school board has not defined or proposed a specific program and is still taking input from the public.
"Don't ask us what we think we're gonna do because we're asking you what you want us to do," she said. The issue will be discussed again publicly at next month's school board meeting in Pierceton.
In other business, the board:
• Congratulated Quentin Jenkins, a third-grader at South Whitley Elementary, for winning first place in photography at "Reflections," a cultural program sponsored by the Indiana Parent-Teacher Association.
The program's theme was "Wouldn't It Be Great If ..." and Quentin's photo, which beat 431 other entries in grades kindergarten through 12, was a picture of his sister, with the title, "Sister For Sale."
• Was encouraged by the PTA to institute corporation-wide recycling and to use no more styrofoam in schools;
• Approved a demographics and facilities study;
• Approved proposed math textbooks for all grades;
• Rejected all bids for computer workstations on the basis that the lowest bid offered inferior equipment and compatibility problems, and that better computer systems could be purchased on the open market.
The Whitko School Board will meet next at 7:30 p.m. May 18 at Pierceton Elementary.
A special "Meet the Candidates" night will be held on April 28 at 7 p.m. in Whitko Middle School for the public to meet and talk with the school board candidates.
