(Washington, D.C.) - Yesterday, officials with the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and the U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced a new series of Federal grants, totaling $5.8 million, for school-based random student drug testing programs. Nearly 50 educational entities in 20 States were awarded random student drug testing grants, including schools in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, and Washington. Since the Supreme Court of the United States upheld the constitutionality of school-based random student drug testing in 1995 and 2002, the demand for random student drug testing has outpaced the Department of Education’s grant award program, which has awarded over $40 million to roughly 140 educational and health entities to develop, implement, or expand random student drug testing since 2003. Random student drug testing programs test students who opt-into the drug testing program with their parents’ or guardians’ consent; participate in school athletic programs; or engage in competitive, extracurricular, school-sponsored activities. Random student drug testing has solidified across the nation over the past five years, due in part to the Federal grant program. Over 4,000 schools nationwide have implemented a random student drug testing program to promote a healthy learning environment, and to shield young people’s developing minds and bodies from dangerous and addictive substances - like marijuana. “Student drug testing programs promote safer, healthier school environments where students can work toward achieving their full potential,” U.S. Department of Education Secretary Margaret Spellings said. “A good student drug testing program helps students defy peer pressure and say ‘no’ to drugs and alcohol, and provides the opportunity for at-risk students to get the support they need.” Similarly, the Office of National Drug Control Policy has supplemented the Department of Education’s grant award program by holding over 30 local and regional educational summits on random student drug testing, including today’s summit in Washington, D.C. The summits are geared toward informing educators, coaches, parents, and students about the programmatic and legal issues associated with random student drug testing. Random student drug testing programs are community-initiated, non-punitive, confidential, and provide services to those students in need. “Every week, we receive requests from concerned parents and school administrators for more information on random student drug testing as a public health approach to prevent and deter drug and alcohol use among youth,” said Dr. Bertha K. Madras, Deputy Director for Demand Reduction at ONDCP. “Due to the numerous benefits of random student drug testing, which protects the health and well-being of students in a confidential and caring manner, public and private schools ranging from urban, suburban, and rural areas are investigating and implementing random student drug testing as part of their broader anti-drug curriculum. Random drug testing can provide schools a powerful deterrent to youth drug and alcohol use, and empower their young people to make positive life decisions.” This is the fifth grant award announcement for school-based random student drug testing programs since 2003.
US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
OFFICE OF SAFE AND DRUG-FREE SCHOOLS
SCHOOL-BASED STUDENT DRUG-TESTING PROGRAMS
For Congressional Notification
FY 2008 Grant Award Recipient
City State Award Amount
ALABAMA
Gadsden Gadsden City Board of Education $150,968
Contact: Mary Inzer
(256) 549-2986
Russellville Franklin County Schools $200,000
Contact: Bill Moss
(256) 332-1360
Andalusia Andalusia City Schools $61,367
Contact: Beverly McAnulty
(334) 222-3186
Birmingham Select Medical Systems, Inc. $200,000
Contact: James Myers
(205) 383-1607
ARIZONA
Casa Grande Casa Grande Union High School District $56,749
Contact: Edna Morris
(520) 876-1127
COLORADO
Denver School District 1, City, Denver $150,000
Contact: Eloy Chavez
(303) 436-9588
CALIFORNIA
Santa Clarita W. Hart Union Hart School District $71,988
Contact: Darryl Adams
(661) 259-0033x316
Shasta Shasta Union High School District $100,800
Contact: Marylee Boales
(530)-225-8413
Fresno Fresno County Office of Education $150,000
Contact: Vince Wesson
(559) 265-3098 x3423
FLORIDA
Bradenton School District of Manatee County $103,050
Contact: Ronald Keen
(941)-708-8770
Bartow School Board of Polk County $196,571
Contact: Audrey Kelley
(863) 291-5355
Palm Springs NMS Management Services, Inc $57,772
Contact: Elaine Taule
(561) 967-8884 x 105
ILLINOIS
Chicago Heights Marian Catholic High School $84,110
Contact: Lorrie Lisek
(219) 365-4289
INDIANA
Hobart School City of Hobart $68,491
Contact: James Thorne
(219) 942-8885
KENTUCKY
Williamsburg Whitley County Board of Education $136,559
Contact: Darla Crawford
(606) 549-7001
Russell Springs Premier Integrity Solutions $228,569
Contact: Bill Ramage
(800) 256-7141
Stearns McCreary County Board of Education $68,676
Contact: Wanda Diamond
(606) 376-2591
Hazard Kentucky Valley Education Cooperative $120,844
Contact: Dessie Bowling
(606) 439-1119 x 25
Bardstown Nelson County Board of Education $121,801
Contact: Janice Lantz
(502) 349-7000
LaGrange Challengers of Oldham County $127,550
Contact: Michael Williams
(502) 222-2340
Harlan Harlan County Board of Education $150,000
Contact: Medeana Miniard
(606) 573-4330 X2044
Morehead Rowan County Board of Education $96,753
Contact: Tom Daugherty
(606) 784-8928
LOUISIANA
Natchitoches Natchitoches Parish School District $175,503
Contact: Jennifer Ingram
(318) 357-9410
MICHIGAN
Detroit City of Detroit $165,300
Contact: Calvin Trent
(313) 876-4566
MISSISSIPPI
Amory Amory City Schools $97,436
Contact: Carol Rogers
(662) 256-5991
Brandon Rankin County School District $169,495
Contact: Hugh Carr
(601) 825-5590
Macon Noxubee County School District $110,853
Contact: Evelyn Murray
(662) 726-4288
Lucedale George County School District $47,530
Contact: Terri Nyman
(601) 766-6363
NEVADA
Las Vegas Clark County School District $149,999
Contact: Tamra Rose
(702) 799-5272
NEW JERSEY
Brick Brick Township Public School $150,123
Contact: Jan Welsh
(973) 249-6225 x206
Hillsborough Hillsborough Township School District $41,148
Contact: Edward Forsthoffer
(908) 369-0030
Oradell River Dell Regional Board of Education $43,100
Contact: Jeff Principe
(201) 599-7239
NORTH CAROLINA
Currituck Currituck County Schools $38,860
Contact: Ron Leigh
(252) 232-2223 x 223
OHIO
Bowling Green Wood County Education Service Center $174,587
Contact: Lorrie Lewandowski
(419) 354-9010
Heath Heath City Schools $67,368
Contact: Trevor Thomas
(740) 788-3303
Marion Pleasant Local School District $68,917
Contact: Stephen Larcomb
(740)-389-4476
Cincinnati North College Hill City Schools $42,210
Contact: Joseph Nickel
(513) 728-4783
OKLAHOMA
Harrah Harrah Public Schools $78,330
Contact: Dean Hughes
(405) 454-6244
Tahlequah Tahlequah Public Schools $150,000
Contact: Billie Jordan
(918) 458-4100
PENNSYLVANIA
Philadelphia Franklin Towne Charter High School $131,290
Contact: Patrick Field
(215) 289-5000 x3015
Ashland North Schuylkill School District $137,448
Contact: Paul Caputo
(570) 874-0466 x1173
TEXAS
Fort Worth Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD $108,762
Contact: Steve Williams
(817) 232-0880 x280
Victoria Victoria Independent School District $178,290
Contact: Roberto Gonzalez
(361) 576-3131
Woodsboro Woodsboro Independent School District $58,380
Contact: Steve Self
(361)-543-4518
Houston Galena Park Independent School District $159,671
Contact: Mark Henry
(832) 386-1023
Diboll Diboll Independent School District $143,453
Contact: Brent Hawkins
(936) 829-5626
Pleasanton Pleasanton Independent School District $149,100
Contact: Bernard Zarosky
(830) 569-1240
UTAH
North Logan Cache County School District $134,990
Contact: Stacie Stewart
(435) 752-3925
WASHINGTON
Spokane Greater Spokane Substance Abuse Council $107,859
Contact: Linda Thompson
(509) 922-8383
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