(Ed. note: There seems to be absolutely no understanding that the nature of these tests make them marijuana tests only, and thereby encourage both hard drug and alcohol use. Of course, they also test for alcohol, as though it were necessary to test to see if a kid is coming to school drunk.)

SNOHOMISH SCHOOL DISTRICT DROPS DRUG TESTING FOR ATHLETES

The first Snohomish County school district - and one of the first in the state - to randomly test student athletes for drugs and alcohol has decided a year later to do away with the practice.

Granite Falls School District board members this past weekend abandoned the policy, which was eagerly adopted only last July, for fear of a costly legal battle they might not win.

"Basically, we got two letters from two different attorneys. Both of those letters gave us concern that if (the policy) was challenged in court, that . . . there’d be some doubt as to the success," said district Superintendent Gary Wall.

"When you get a letter from your insurance company and your own attorney, then you have to make a decision: Are you willing to spend the money or not? Our board chose the not."

Although no lawsuits on the matter were pending, the letter from an attorney for the district’s insurer, Puget Sound Risk Co-op, said the company would not cover legal fees if the district were sued over the policy, leaving the 1,825-student district to foot the bill itself.

"I don’t think the taxpayers in Granite Falls should be paying half a million (dollars) for a legal action," said Bob Quarterman, School Board chairman.

The decision was a strictly financial one, said Quarterman, who called the one-year trial run of random drug testing a success.

"We had the best year we’ve ever had," he said. "One student set a state record in the high jump. Our girls team went to state for baseball. In track, we had seven girls go to state. The basketball team almost went to state."

(Ed. note: Gosh, all because of "drug testing!" This is the other gateway theory. "Drug" testing leads to almost going to state.)

The policy made sports teams more cohesive, Quarterman said, and forced students to decide whether they’d rather play sports or do drugs.

"And we had student athletes who were not using drugs because of the policy; they told us that. We also had student athletes referred to treatment because of the policy, and athletes who, because of the policy, referred themselves to treatment to help them to keep off drugs. I think our data show there was no doubt we were helping kids."

In contrast to district officials’ regret over the decision, officials at the state American Civil Liberties Union were enthusiastic.

"We’re very pleased," said Jerry Sheehan, state ACLU legislative director.

"It’s the appropriate thing for them to be doing constitutionally."

The ACLU has maintained that random drug tests at school violate state constitutional protections against unreasonable searches, despite a 1996 U.S. Supreme Court ruling which allowed testing of student athletes.

"All courts that have looked at the question have clearly said a drug test is a search, so there’s no argument about that," Sheehan said. "And the Washington Supreme Court in a case (several years ago) we brought against the Renton School District said very clearly the government, and that includes school districts, is prohibited from search without cause."

Sheehan said as far as the ACLU was aware, just one school district in the state - Burlington-Edison in Skagit County - was continuing random drug testing. A flurry of districts considered such policies last year, then backed away. Granite Falls was the fourth district to conduct such tests.

"We had a discussion last year, a pretty vigorous one, with Northshore and they backed off," Sheehan said. "Also the Blaine School District; their insurer told them the same thing."

Blaine dropped its plan to test last October. That district also is insured by Puget Sound Risk Co-op.