Marijuana Policy Project

DESOTO, Kan. — Should students be subjected to random drug testing at school? One local district is considering it.

By law, superintendent Sharon Zoellner said, the only students the district can randomly drug test are those seventh through 12th graders signed up for extracurricular activities.

That's what they are looking into, and it isn't sitting well with some students and parents.

One parent said, "It's not a random testing, it is of specific groups. And it should be of the faculty and everyone included in the school system to make it just."

The policy the district is considering mimics one in Oak Grove, Mo., and El Dorado, Kan. It calls for randomly testing 10 percent of those students per period.

But the district doesn't know how often that will be. A lot depends on cost. How often can the afford it, if they can afford it at all? A lot of questions need answers before drug testing would become a reality. Even then it's just a possibility, according to Zoellner.

"We're gathering feedback. We haven't submitted anything to the school board yet," said DeSoto High School principal Dave Morford.

There will be a second forum on the school drug testing proposal at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Mill Valley High School, 5900 Monticello Rd., in Shawnee.