The administrative leaders of Ohio County Schools soon will recommend to the five Board of Education members to implement mandatory and random drug testing for student/athletes and students who participate in extracurricular activities and/or drive to Wheeling Park High School.
Assistant Superintendent Rick Jones spearheaded the research into similar policies that have been implemented in school districts across the county and in West Virginia. The policy put into place this year in Wood County Schools, a system that includes two Class AAA high schools, is what Jones is utilizing to develop the program in Ohio County.
“And, if there is a positive test, there will be discipline, but it will be something that hopefully helps the student get away from that activity,” he explained. “Such a program is about helping our students and not hurting them in any way.
“There’s a big educational component, too, so the students can learn about the harm that drugs can do to a person’s body,” Jones said. “We won’t be the first county in the state to implement this program if the board approves it, but we will be the first in this area. I’ve spent some time speaking with the people in Wood County about it, and we have modeled a lot of what we’d like to see put into place after their policy.”
An Opioid Epidemic
Opioids have ravaged the state of West Virginia for several years with daily overdoses and unfortunate deaths in all 55 counties, and the problem is just as critical in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
The Ohio County Emergency Management Agency, in fact, created a special texting service to alert residents when more than two overdoses take place within county borders.
“Everyone is worried because of the drug issues that we have seen in this area,” Jones said. “Drugs are a real problem, as we all know, and no one is exempt from that. We all know drugs do not discriminate, and we want to help our students avoid the negative effects of doing drugs at a young age.
“Wheeling Hospital has agreed to partner with us, so that is where all of the testing will be conducted,” he explained. “Their employees will do the testing, and we’ll have the results very quickly, and that will allow us to have conversations with the parents so we can help our students avoid those big problems.”
All narcotics, the assistant superintendent confirmed, would be tested for if the majority of board members approve of the plan. Jones added the students also would be tested for alcohol, as well.
“If we have a student that tests positive in random testing, that student will then get tested each of the following months for the rest of the school year,” Jones said. “A test will be able to take place if it’s suggested by a coach, a teacher, or a counselor, and they will all be tested prior to the beginning of each sports season.
“The random testing that takes place will be every two weeks,” he said. “It’s our goal to have a drug-free atmosphere at Wheeling Park High School, and we believe this policy will help us accomplish that goal.”
A Decrease in Participation?
Both Jones and Superintendent Dr. Kim Miller do not fear that students will choose to take drugs over programs like football, baseball, and the marching band.
Why not?
“Those activities and those sports mean something to the kids,” insisted Miller. “It’s about catching it at an early age so they can learn about what they are doing to their bodies now instead of later in life.
“A drug test just might be the one moment that changes their life in a very positive way, and it is our hope that this policy will stop them from even trying a drug,” she said. “If they choose to experiment with something and then test positive for it, whatever it may be, the education they will receive after that test could save their life.”
The administrators have enlisted the opinions offered by nearly 30 Wheeling Park students during the development phase, and what they discovered during those conversations is that a vast majority of the student body would support mandatory and random drug testing.
“Dr. Miller met with a number of students recently to discuss two topics, one being the mandatory drug testing and the other concerning the time we have classes at Wheeling Park High School,” Jones explained. “The majority of those students supported drug testing, and they also expressed to her that they do not want to start school later in the mornings.
“So, we are taking a lot of ideas to the students, and when we meet with them, it’s not the same ones every time. We select groups from every grade so we can get a good feel about how our students feel about specific issues at the school,” he said. “That way we can move forward with the recommendations that we make to our board so they can make their decisions based on the most facts possible.”
The Next Step
The recommendation to the five board members, Jones said, could take place in March or early April, and if approved, the administrators would recruit a director to refine the drug-testing programs.
It would begin prior to the 2020-2021 academic year. Thus far this year, Jones added, Wood County has reported eight positive tests.
“We feel this policy will put teeth into our goal to guide our students away from drug activity because it will send a message that if they are doing something that is a privilege, we can take it away if they are not following the rules,” Jones said. “We wish for our kids to be drug-free, and if they are not drug-free, we need to educate them about it, and we also need their parents to know about it.
“I’m really excited about it, and our coaches are 100 percent on board,” he said. “I’ve met with every head coach the past two weeks, and it was great to see how on board they are. They really want this, too, for the kids and their futures. That’s really what this is all about.”
