SOUTH NEWTON MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL
RANDOM SCREENING POLICY & PROCEDURES

Purpose
South Newton Middle/High School believes that all students can be successful.  This is especially true when obstacles that impede success are removed.  The implementation of a random drug screening policy will offer students of South Newton Middle/High School a substance abuse-free environment.  The purpose of this program is to create a supportive environment in which students are able to make responsible and healthy choices.

Scope
This program will include every student who participates in any school sanctioned extra-curricular activity, such as athletics, clubs, work programs, etc.  Any student who wishes to drive to school will also be required to participate.  Participation in the drug screening program is a condition of participation. Students or their parents/guardians who do not give consent will not be allowed to participate in a school sanctioned activity or drive to school until consent has been given.   All students who fall into these categories will be required to submit a urine sample if they are selected during the random screening process.  Failure to give consent to participate or submit a sample will be considered as a positive result.  This policy and procedure will not violate the rights or liberties of any participant in accordance with local, state, and federal laws.

The effective date of this program will be January 1, 2006.

Legal Obligation
Indiana Code 20-8.1-7 sets forth health measures to be governed by school officials.  Most specifically, IC 20-8.7-2 establishes the responsibility of the school to assist children found to be ill or in need of treatment.

Drug Education
The administration will inform the parents of students of the conditions and expectations of the screening program and will provide a consent form.  The consent form must be signed and returned prior to participation.

Philosophy
The philosophy of the program is to assist students in making healthy life choices.  The purpose of this program is to educate, help, and direct students away from substance and alcohol abuse; and towards a healthy and substance free participation.  No student shall be expelled or suspended from school as a result of any verified positive test conducted by the school under this program other than those stated therein.  However, a student will be suspended from extra-curricular activities and/or driving privileges if found in violation of this policy.

Testing Procedures
The testing procedure will consist of established procedures of the company contracted to take and process the samples given by the students.  A copy of these procedures will be made available to parents, guardians, or students upon request.

  1. Students’ names will be placed into a pool/database and assigned a number.  A list of students will be randomly selected by the testing company.  The list will be sent to South Newton High School.  Students will be given no advance notice or early warning of testing.  The administration will bring each student to submit a sample.  An area for sample collection will be provided that will ensure privacy and the integrity of the sample.  The sample will be collected by a representative of the testing company.
  2. If the student shows signs of reasonable suspicion, the administration may call the student’s parent/guardian and ask that a student be tested.  Factors will include, but are not limited to, excessive discipline problems and/or excessive absences from school.  Also, parent/guardian may request testing of his/her student.  A parent/guardian may request that their child be tested twice if they are not originally selected.  This is to avoid the misuse of the process due to the cost of each test.
  3. All samples will remain under the supervision of the administration of South Newton High School. The sample will be analyzed by the testing company.  In addition a strict chain of custody will be enforced to eliminate invalid tests or outside influences.
  4. All students will remain under the administration’s supervision until they have produced an adequate sample.  If the student is unable to produce a sample, the student may be given up to twenty four (24) ounces of fluid.  If the student is still unable to produce a sample with one hour, the student’s parent/guardian will be notified that the student will not be able to participate in the activities he or she is currently involved until a screen is produced. 
  5. If it is proven that tampering or cheating has occurred during the collection of the sample, the student will become ineligible for all activities until results are produced by the parent/guardian at their own expense.
  6. The laboratory selected must follow the standards set by the Department of Health and Human Services and must be certified under the auspices of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act (CLIA).

Chain of Custody

  1. The student will be escorted to the testing site by an administrator/designee.  All students will not be sent to the testing site simultaneously.  Testing four to five students at a time allows the testing to be carried out quickly and will not cause students to wait a long time, thereby creating a loss of important time from class.
  2. Once at the health suite (testing area), the student must sign in and, as soon as called by the collection technician (or designee), provide a specimen. 
  3. The collection technician (or designee) will give each student being tested a specimen container.  At that time the student will sign a verification form indicating the specimen container is untainted.  The specimen container will remain in the student’s possession until a seal is placed upon the specimen container by the collection technician (or designee).  The student and collection technician (or designee) will sign that the specimen has been sealed.  The seal may be broken or opened only by the laboratory testing the specimen.
  4. If the seal is tampered with or broken after leaving the student’s possession and prior to arriving at the lab, the specimen is invalid, and will be discarded without being tested.
  5. The students will enter the restroom provided by the collection technician (or designee).  Students will be instructed to remove coats and wash their hands in the presence of the supervisor.  The door will be closed with the student by himself/herself in the restroom to provide a urine specimen.  The supervisor will wait outside the restroom.  The commode will contain a blue dye so the water cannot be used to dilute the sample.
  6. The laboratory personnel will transport the specimen to the testing laboratory.  The testing laboratory will report the results to the principal (or designee).

POSITIVE TEST RESULTS AND APPEAL

In the event a student tests positive by the laboratory, that result will be sent to a Medical Review Officer.  The Medical Review Officer shall be a licensed physician with knowledge of substance abuse disorders.  The role of the Medical Review Officer is to review and interpret positive test results.  The Medical Review Officer is a physician knowledgeable in the medical use of prescription drugs and pharmacology and toxicology of illicit drugs.  It will be the Medical Review Officer’s role to determine any valid medical reason for the positive test.  The Medical Review Officer will contact the principal (or designee) of the results.  The principal (or designee) will contact the custodial parent/guardian and the student about these results.  If an acceptable reason for the positive test is not established, the test will be considered “failed,” and then the principal (or designee) will be contacted regarding the results. 

In the event of a failed test, the student and custodial parent/guardian will be told that a restriction from participating in any of the listed activities and/or driving to school will be imposed for thirty (30) days.  The student or his/her custodial parent/guardian may appeal by requesting that the urine sample (kept by the lab for a year) be tested again by the laboratory (or another accredited laboratory) at a cost to the student or his/her custodial parent/guardian.

To be able to resume the privilege of participating in activities and/or driving to school, the student will be tested again at the expense of the student or his/her custodial parent/guardian.  This testing may occur at any time.  The student will also be required to receive substance abuse assessment from an outside agency at the expense of the student or custodial parent/guardian.  The results of this assessment may be forwarded to the principal (or designee).

If the student fails a test a second time, the student will be restricted from activities and/or driving to school for one calendar year.  This restriction begins from the time the student or custodial parent/guardian is notified.  Multiple failed tests are indicative of continued substance use and will mean that the student will be referred for professional evaluation to be paid for by the custodial parent/guardian.

WCMS Collection Procedures

Both WCMS and its collectors ensure the integrity and security of the specimen throughout the entire collection process.  Our collectors are DATIA certified and follow all DOT regulations. We rely on our collectors to perform their job professionally and provide the donor's modesty and privacy.

Step 1:             Student checks in with collector and removes coat and empties pockets.

Step 2:             Collector writes the students assigned ID number on chain of custody, and has student sign his/her name on copy 2 of the chain of custody, student then initials both specimen labels.

Step 3:             Collector gives student a collection container to provide a specimen.

Step 4:             Collector prepares restroom for donor (stool will have dye and faucets turned off).

Step 5:             Collector explains to student, he/she will need to void about half way into specimen container, not to flush and bring specimen out to collector when finished.

Step 6:             Student enters restroom by him/herself, closes door, provides sample, hands specimen to collector. Students will not leave or have his/her sample out of their view until WCMS completes the remaining steps.

Step 7:             Collector checks specimen temperature and color.

Step 8:             Collector pours specimen into 2 vials (opened in front of student) then seals bottles and places specimen labels (initialed by student) on sealed bottles.

Step 9:             Collector places the sealed specimen and chain of custody in the plastic bag and seals the specimen bag.

Step 10:           Sealed bag with all items will be secure and transported back to WCMS, where they will be picked up and sent to out to our lab.

 

 

Consent forms will be located in the Middle School and High School offices.  A consent form needs to be signed and kept on file in the Athletic Directors office.