Marijuana Policy Project

Step into the hallway of any high school anywhere in the country and South Brunswick High School principal Vann Pennell believes you'll see society at large reflected on a smaller scale in the actions, words and beliefs of teens.

"What's out there is in here, in the high school," Pennell said Monday.

Following that logic, what's good in society is "in the high school" but so are all its ills, lurking behind every classroom door and in every locker.

And Pennell said no student from the chronic underachiever to the most motivated bookworm is safe.

To protect against the evils of society, namely drug and alcohol abuse, the Brunswick County Board of Education is considering random drug tests of all high school students who are involved in extracurricular activities or who drive to and from school each day.

It's a policy Pennell knows well. He left Camden County Schools two years ago to come to South Brunswick High just when school board members there were putting the finishing touches on a similar policy.

At the request of Brunswick County school board members, Pennell presented Camden County's drug testing policy during a safe schools committee meeting last month.

Every child is guaranteed the right to a free education but extracurricular activities are considered privileges. Since privileges carry certain expectations and can be taken away if those expectations aren't met, Pennell said drug testing would have the most impact if it were imposed on the things students enjoy most, whether it be football, the debate team or just pulling into the student parking lot each morning.

"The whole idea (of a student drug testing policy) is to be a deterrent. If students are on the fence debating over peer pressure, this may make them stop and think, ‘Hey, I don't need to sacrifice my talent or my potential,'" Pennell said.

Travis Overman, a senior at South Brunswick who plays on the school's varsity soccer and golf teams, said earlier this month that the drug problem at his school is "noticeable."

He said he would support any efforts to make his school drug-free, even if it meant his fellow athletes would be tested.

"I think it's good because these days there are a lot of kids taking drugs. I think it should be recommended for all athletes," he said.

Pennell said, like Overman, most students at South Brunswick would take random drug testing as a sign that administrators are looking out for teens' best interest, not looking to punish them.

Pennell said in Camden County, students who failed a drug test were given counseling, not immediately kicked off a team or out of a club. They did lose their privilege to participate for a short period of time while they received counseling. Repeat violations resulted in more time away from after-school activities and increased drug treatment.

But South Brunswick junior and drama club member Tianna McCracken said all she sees in the drug-testing proposal is a lack of trust among school leaders.

"I feel this does show a lack of faith in our students, because those students committed enough to something as time and energy consuming as a production are going to have enough self control and sense to stay away from drugs. I don't think I've ever known any drama student to be involved in illegal activities," she said two weeks ago.

Even further, she said the proposal targets the wrong students.

"If students have enough self-determination and control to participate in extracurricular activities then they're most likely not the students participating in any illegal drug use.

The school board needs to go after the students who choose to do nothing with their time," she said.

Fellow junior and drama student Lacy Levin agreed.

"Being in the performing arts is far too serious to tolerate anything like drugs in the program and the students who are serious about it know this already," she said. "I can understand why the school board would want to take the precaution but I believe it's unnecessary. The time and money spent on drug testing could be used to raise support, build sets or props and rehearse. There's not enough time in theater to worry about drug testing. We don't have to.

Drama participants are smart enough to know to stay away from drugs."

Not so, said Pennell. Stereotyping active students as the "good kids" could have dangerous consequences.

"Every kid is at risk at some time in (his or her) life or for some particular reason," he said. "Good kids make mistakes, too."

With 33 sports teams, including cheerleading, and approximately 28 after-school clubs at the school, Pennell said there wouldn't be many students left untested, especially if the school system tests driver education students and students who already drive to school.

As far as cost, Pennell added, Camden County implemented its policy for $5,000 a year. He said grants were available for school districts considering the policy.

Several school districts in the state, including Forsyth County, Cleveland County, Haywood County and Gaston County, also have similar programs. Cumberland County is in the process of implementing a student drug testing policy.

"I see nothing but good coming from this," Pennell noted. In Camden County, school officials were concerned that the policy might dissuade students from being involved in clubs and sports teams. But Pennell said over the last two years, membership has actually increased.

Even McCracken said while she disagreed with the policy, if the school board approved it, she wouldn't let it stop her from performing.

"It will not affect me and my involvement in any extracurricular activities but it might affect others," she said.

"I will continue to participate in what I love without hesitation. Others will continue to do the same, I'm sure," Levin added.

Sophomore Mitchell Brendle, a South golfer, said his coach, Gene Doane, already places strict guidelines on his players.

Overman called those guidelines part of an "unspoken agreement" between Doane and his team to maintain good behavior at all times.

"(Coach) Doane expects us to act responsibly both on and off the course," he said.

And drama club advisor Sarah Levin said she, too, has only the highest expectations for her students. She advises against drugs and alcohol and encourages positive, self-esteem building activities to keep teens away from trouble.

"Adult supervision is key. They look up to us," she said. But even with all that guidance, Pennell said some students can still fall prey to drugs and alcohol.

As a principal, he wants to create a safe school environment that is conducive to learning.

As a father, he thinks drug testing will provide helpful information to parents about children who might be experimenting with illegal substances.

"To speak as a parent, I appreciate someone being proactive with my child. Society has changed in a lot of ways," he said.

School board member and safe schools committee chairman Charlie Miller, who led the recent push to randomly drug test all school employees, admitted last month that he was still unsure of the effectiveness of student drug testing. He said he wanted to get the employee testing program up and running before he considered moving on to students.

No matter what the board decides, Pennell said he is encouraged by board members' willingness to face facts about the realities of drug use in high schools.

Because if high schools really do reflect society, he said, society has shown us that ignoring a problem doesn't make it go away.

"If we bury our heads in the sand, we're making a big mistake, because drugs are there," he said. "It's good to have some open dialogue, to show that we're not going to turn our heads to this. We owe our students that."