Perrysburg school board approves drug-testing policy

7/7/2009

After more than an hour of discussion Tuesday morning, the Perrysburg school board approved a first-ever drug testing policy for junior high and high school students.

It was the ninth draft of the policy, which underwent even more revisions before the board voted 4-1 to adopt it for the coming school year.

Board member Barry Van Hoozen cast the only dissenting vote. He said he was not opposed to the policy but was opposed to the idea of using a federal grant to pay for it.

"If we believe in it, we should pay for it," he said.

As it is, drug testing for high school athletes will be paid for with a three-year, $41,000 grant obtained through the Wood County Educational Service Center. Five other Wood County districts — Elmwood, North Baltimore, Northwood, Otsego, and Rossford — also shared in the grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Perrysburg’s policy calls for testing athletes and high school students who drive to school for an unspecified list of illegal substances at the start of each season or school year and randomly testing them during the season or year.

The federal grant only will pay for testing high school athletes, but Perrysburg Superintendent Tom Hosler said he plans to find funding to pay for testing junior high athletes and student drivers.